Here is a true slice-of-life play -- and not only because it's set in the basement of a trendy, up-market New York restaurant. What Fully Committed (trade euphemism for "all tables booked") does is encapsulate, through the vehicle of a one-man show, a big chunk of American life, the portion that is obsessed with money, power, ego and celebrity. Such obsessions are worthy of satire and scorn, and Fully Committed does not fail to deliver on both of those counts; this is one of the most bitingly funny shows I've ever seen, one that shreds stuffed shirts with rapier-like ferocity and glee.
Mark Setlock plays Sam, a likable, struggling young actor handling the reservation lines for an Upper East Side bistro that has achieved fame, thanks to its "world fusion" menu. Stuck by himself on the ever-buzzing phones because his fellow- worker Bob has selfishly abandoned him for the morning, Sam must field calls from Kuwaiti oil sheikhs, pushy rich ladies, arrogant film moguls, Mafia hoods, goofy tourists and self-absorbed super-- models, all wanting immediate and slavish service. On top of that, Sam must also cope with a coke-sniffing, VIP-crazy owner; a prima donna chef and other assorted restaurant employees, not to speak of his agent, father and various friends. In a wizard-like display of mimicry, Setlock plays all of these characters, switching from voice to voice with instantaneous ease and skill, coming up with appropriate body language and facial expressions too.
Once in a while there is a change of lighting to help reinforce an impersonation, but mostly it's Setlock juggling all these balls by himself. The joy in watching such a virtuoso performance is compounded by the way the badly-abused Sam gradually begins to use his smarts to get revenge on his many oppressors. His triumph is more than just personal; it's a rare victory of decency and humanity over high-class selfishness and sleaze.
