Theater Review:

"Lobby Hero" Delivers Stellar Performance

By: Cedric Streeter

Posted: 11/5/07

The line to get into Lehman's Studio Theatre for the Department of Journalism, Communications and Theatre's first performance of "Lobby Hero" was long, but worth the wait. Audience members laughed throughout the play and cheered at the end of the performance.

"Lobby Hero" ran from Wednesday, October 24 through Sunday, October 28. The play was presented by Lehman's Theatre Program and is the first production for the fall season. Wednesday's sold out performance started twenty minutes late because a large number of students, faculty members, and guests needed extra seating.

"Lobby Hero" is written by Kenneth Lonergan and directed by Stephanie Stowe, a theatre professor at Lehman. The play introduces audiences to Jeff (Juan Ramirez), a security guard and his supervisor, William (Joel Castro). Adam Levine plays Bill, a veteran cop, and Julie Ortiz plays a rookie named Dawn who is three months out of the police academy. A murder investigation brings them together, but later breaks them apart.

The set design for "Lobby Hero" was contemporary, classy, and simple. The lighting and sound effects of car noises made the audience feel as if they were in a neighborhood in the city. When actors walked on and off the set, the lighting and sound effects were timely cued.

The play is filled with action, laughs, and drama. Kenneth Lonergan shows a classic story of deception, corruption, sex, and murder. In the end, justice prevails. In the first scene of act one, William tells Jeff that he needs to take more pride in his work. Jeff does everything in his power to prove to William that he is not a sloppy or lazy security guard. In act two, Dawn becomes suspicious and begins questioning Jeff. She wants him to come clean with what he knows about a murder that happened when William's brother robbed a pharmacy.

Juan Ramirez, who plays Jeff, is the star of "Lobby Hero." He stood out because of his carefree attitude. It took a lot of work to bring the character alive. Ramirez was believable and fun to watch.

"Jeff was my first lead role and I never had so many lines," Ramirez said. "Keeping the energy up throughout the play is an athletic workout. [He] is a security guard [that is] full of bad luck, [but] tries to be helpful, charming, and happy-go-lucky."

All of the actors' performances were remarkable and clear representations of everyday problems that the audience seemed to relate to. Jeff's (Juan Ramirez) goofy antics and the exchange of dialogue in several scenes had the entire audience laughing throughout the performance. The ushers had to hush the audience to get them to settle down.

There is a lot of talent and creativity in "Lobby Hero." The powerful performance puts Lehman's theatre production a doorstep away from the bright lights of Broadway.