Allison Lewis goes Ramsay in preparation for Fully Committed.
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It’s not often an actor gets to play not one, not 10, but 40 different characters in the course of one show. But that’s what Alison Lewis does in Mob Hit’s current production of Becky Mode’s one-person piece, Fully Committed, directed by Lawrence Leong.
“It’s a crazy challenge, but it’s 40 times more rewarding than a regular show,” says Lewis.
Lewis took on the same challenge in 2005, when Mob Hit first staged the production. The company is remounting the work in honour of its 10th anniversary this year.
The central character in Fully Committed is Sam, an out-of-work actor who pays the bills by working the phone, booking reservations at an upscale New York restaurant. The dining establishment is so exclusive that being “booked up” is being “fully committed,” hence the title.
At her desk in the restaurant’s drab basement, Sam takes calls from harried and flamboyant restaurant staff, including a demanding chef and a host of the social elite who are trying to secure the restaurant’s most coveted spot — Table 31.
Lewis takes on both sides of her frantic phone conversations, which adds up to the play’s 40 characters, including men, women and people with East Indian, Japanese, French, Midwestern, southern U.S., New York and Spanish accents. Oh, and throw in a couple of celebrity voices Lewis says are meant to be a “surprise” for the audience.
The characters range from Mrs. Sebag, “a crazy old lady who commandeers the household,” to Carolann Rosenstein-Fishburn, “a helmet-haired socialite from Park Avenue who has nothing better to do than get the right table at the restaurant.”
Save for a few difficulties developing a Spanish accent, Lewis seems unfazed by all the dialects she has had to master for the show. “I’ve got some really good personal resources (i.e. friends), and I used this database on international dialects. I also did a lot of research using textbook-type things and I listened to Russell Peters and anyone else I could think of that might give me a good edge,” she says.
Beyond the accents, however, there is still a lot of work involved in creating 40 distinct personalities. Lewis says she used several approaches to find each character. “They all kind of developed in their own unique way. Some began by finding their voice. Some characters were clear just by their attitude. Some came out of movement exploration. They are all very distinct, funny, zany characters,” she says.
All the play’s action occurs during the course of one day — “a day from hell,” as Lewis describes it.
“It’s three weeks before Christmas. Sam’s boss and co-worker have bailed on her. Her father has been widowed recently and she’s trying to get home for Christmas, but she can’t get off work. And, she’s up for a big (acting) part at the Lincoln Center,” says Lewis.
So, while Fully Committed is a satire of high society and fine dining, Lewis says the play is really about Sam’s journey. “She completely changes her life over the course of one day at work.”
Lewis also points out the irony of the situation. Sam is poor and struggling, yet she holds the one thing the rich, self-important folks want: the ability to book them Table 31 for a meal.
Fully Committed has personal resonance for Lewis and the rest of Mob Hit’s creative team. Like so many artists, the “Mobsters” have day jobs to support their artistic pursuits.
“Anybody can relate to it (the show) who’s ever tried to be creative on the side. Anyone who struggles with that work-work balance, this play will resonate with them,” says Lewis.
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