"Prepare to Laugh out Loud - a Lot!" A review of "Working for Crumbs"
By Jonathan Sachs & Ruth Neeman
We've all seen our fair share of comedies about working in a lousy office situation. A myriad of movies have been made about the subject and the genre is at its finest in the TV versions of The Office. A play about a similar scenario needs to carve out new territory—and playwright Kate Danley and Director Chris Rose understood that assignment.
“Working for Crumbs” is a crazy farce which gets wackier as it goes along. Two women working in the development department in a corporate office at a pair of desks are put into progressively more ridiculous versions of situations we have all been through. Be prepared to laugh out loud—a lot!
One thing that the writing, casting and directing did really well was to set out the differences between the execs and the regular offices workers. The two bosses clearly felt entitled in way the office workers did not.
The two principal women are played by Angela Courtney Rossi and Jacey Lynn Rutledge and their comic acting and high energy is well matched. Their boss is played perfectly by Sarah Logsdon, and their boss’s boss is played by Cathy Koerwer, also perfectly. Another key role is the annoying Molly, played to the hilt by Brit Barone. Steve Bermundo plays a hunky delivery guy and excels in "conveying the message" without many words. Last, but hardly least, is the janitor played by Shelley Wood. This play does have its raucous moments, but some of the funniest and coolest scenes are silent ones with Shelley.
All through the play, along with the crazed energetic humor and hilarious physical comedy that we associate with the Marx Brothers, there are also some delicious, delicate moments where a tiny expression by an actor becomes the total focus for everyone in the theater. Chris Rose directed this play with great style and attention to detail. Perhaps, however, the level of farce and wacky energy might have been built up a bit more slowly.
The set and elaborate set dressing conveyed a bleak beige and grey office surroundings with the dreaded fluorescent lighting. Pushing the lighting to a slightly cooler spectrum may have made the space feel even less human-friendly. The attention to detail was phenomenal with complete setting behind all the multiple doors - each playing a part in this production. Even the office clock, which was part of the dialog, was moved along as needed. The costumes by Tracy Sullivan—and the costume changes—were wonderful and emphasized the day-to-day scene changes.
The play runs from now through March 8 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm. Do yourself a favor and go see this and bring friends who like to laugh and friends that need a laugh—which is all of us.
