Fully Committed
written by Becky Mode
starring Jesse Tyler Ferguson
directed by Jason Moore
Lyceum Theatre
June 22, 2016
Production website 💉💉 out of 5.

First I need to apologize for having never seen Modern Family so I have never see Mr. Ferguson’s uptight Mitchell. Often when I go to theatre in NYC, I am reminded how LITTLE TV I actually watch. It’s not that I am “above” TV; I simply do not have the habit.

As the show started, I had a few fears. One: I saw this huge, complicated set placing us in the basement of the ultra-popular restaurant in question. I worried that this set might get in the way of the play, and that I might actually long to see the play in its home at the Vineyard Theatre years ago. I was right. This set just seemed to swallow the actor rather then bring him to the forefront.

I was also worried that there were no laughs in the first ten minutes of the show. I sat there in the second row looking around the audience and saw that no one was interested in laughing. The problem was not the material or Jesse Ferguson; the problem was that the frantic, and I mean frantic, speed of the show told us, the audience, that we dare no laugh or we are likely to miss the next moment.

Jesse Ferguson was amazing. He was a textbook in characterization and external acting. He really did create dozens of unique individuals on stage. For me, however, it did become a display of acting technique to the detriment of the story or of caring about the protagonist. To use the metaphors of the show – it was as if we were invited to a very fancy restaurant but all they were serving were appetizers. Lot of appetizers. Lots of unique delicious appetizers – – but no meal. Our mouth was full of flavors – – but we left the restaurant wanting a dinner – something to fill our bellies until breakfast.