F. Murray Abraham and Daniel London speak plainly in Struggle Session, one of Ethan Coen’s one-acts in the world premiere of his Offices. (Doug Hamilton)
In "Peer Review," Elliot (Joey Slotnick) becomes upset when he gets a poor rating during an evaluation, causing him to unleash a verbal tirade against his fellow workers and superiors, who he thinks are all out to get him. Actually, his co-workers have little use for him because he is such a complainer, and his bosses simply feel that Elliot is not a team player. These butting perspectives lead to the inevitable showdown. “Peer Review” is an interesting curtain raiser, with some very funny sight gags and sounds, featuring Aya Cash, and to a lesser degree, Daniel Abeles and C.J. Wilson.
The second offering is the ominous "Homeland Security." Munro (John Bedford Lloyd) is a very cautious fellow who works for the Department of Homeland Security. However he, like many bureaucrats, is loath to a make a decision, lest he be blamed for it later on. This also extends to his personal life, with Munro unable to talk to his young son (Daniel Yelsky) about sex, or tell his wife (Mary McCann) whom he wants to invite to a dinner party. His self-preservation instinct also makes him paranoid to the extreme. We see his paranoid condition crystallize full force when he is unable to find his briefcase; it contains information, which must not fall into the wrong hands. But did Munro really lose his briefcase, or is somebody setting him up to be the ultimate fall guy?
L-R) John Bedford Lloyd, Mary McCann, Daniel Abeles, and Aya Cash in tale about a man who is afraid to make decisions, even at home, in Homeland Security. (Steve Shevett)
In "Struggle Session," Beck (Daniel London), a mid-level working stiff, is fired by his boss Schilling (Greg Stuhr), only to be hired back when Schilling is fired by his boss Lury (Lloyd). Not only is Beck re-hired, but he ends up with Schilling's old job, along with the pressure and responsibilities that go with it. Direct talk doesn't always go down well in the corporate environment, as Beck realizes all too soon. Beck and Schilling also have a close encounter with a Bum (F. Murray Abraham in a hilarious scene-stealing role) who dispenses some very plain truths while begging at a street corner.
In all three stories, Coen presents people overwhelmed by the demands of the job and the pressure to succeed. While the first two stories look at how this affects one individual (Elliot in "Peer Review" and Munro in "Homeland Security"), "Struggle Session" expands on this theme, showing numerous people grappling with these issues. ("Session" also pushes most heavily the message about the need to get away from the deadening environment of the office and the need to find one's own path.)
(L-R) F. Murray Abraham and Joey Slotnick in Peer Review.(Doug Hamilton)
Elliot is probably the most easily identifiable and sympathetic character, while the Bum fares best in terms of outright humor. However, it is the character of Munro, nicely played by Lloyd, which really shows how paralyzing one's job can be. Using both humor and satire, "Homeland Security" presents an ultra-paranoid government worker who is ultimately more worried whether he ordered lunch that day, and what time the food will arrive, than anything else. The piece takes a scathing look at bureaucratic inefficacy in which no one wants to take responsibility for anything. Yet Munro is also plagued by an ever-present fear of failure, not to mention trying to decipher numerous conspiracy theories. These all ultimately affect him, and someone close to him, in a rather unexpected way.
"Peer Review" is the most true to life of the plays, at least as far as Elliot's attitude is concerned, which makes the story, in its own way, the most serious of all—this despite some hilarious moments alluded to earlier. Elliot wants to be liked, but is so unhappy, he is unable to relate to his co-workers or they to him. This is made clear in an excellent scene where Elliot sees three of his co-workers laughing and joking around the water cooler. But as soon as they spot Elliot, the atmosphere immediately changes, becoming quite uncomfortable.
All three works have the potential to be expanded somewhat, and it would be interesting to see if Coen decides to revisit them in the future. As they stand now, they make for an interesting diversion with more message and style than overall depth. Director Neil Pepe keeps the stories moving nicely, letting the various characters play some of their roles over-the-top and building the tensions to their respective conclusions.
Also in the cast is Brennan Brown.
Offices
Atlantic Theater Company
336 West 20th Street
Tickets: 212-279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com
Running Time: Approximately 90 minutes
Closes June 7
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication The Stage.
