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Dark comedy paints grim picture of cutthroat capitalism
Reviewed by Fran Heller
Contributing Writer
Cleveland playwright Cliff Hershman is an angry young man.
His slice-of-life drama “International House of Hamburgers,” a dark comedy about cutthroat capitalism, human exploitation and greed, holds up a mirror to today’s corporate climate. It’s not a pretty picture.
The world première is being presented at The Bang and the Clatter Sometimes in the Silence Theatre Company through Nov. 22.
Matthew, a failed writer, works as a cook at a chain restaurant. Frustrated over his lack of material success, his recent promotion to kitchen manager promises that things are finally looking up.
When the promotion proves a bogus one, an
increasingly desperate Matthew seeks revenge, destroying everyone who stands in his way.
Director Christopher Johnston finds the humor and the horror in Hershman’s message play. Like Arthur Miller, who wrote about the destructive forces of American capitalism in the 20th century, Hershman’s 90-minute work, presented without intermission, is a snapshot of “soulless capitalism” in the 21st century.
There are no shades of gray in the protagonist, who comes across as thoroughly dislikable and dishonorable. Matthew is the anti-hero who arouses a mix of loathing and sympathy; the antithesis of the tragically flawed human being.
Matthew’s discussion of primitive man serves as a powerful analogy throughout. He describes a prehistoric age when, in the “cradle of civilization,” humankind was divided into two subspecies – the leaf eaters and the hunters. The leaf eaters became extinct as the animal killers thrived. “We are all descendants of animal killers,” notes Matthew.
Marcus Dana’s terrific naturalistic set includes a working grill, cooler and cutting table. Shelves are stacked with paper goods, condiments, cutlery and an assembly line of hamburger buns awaiting their fill. The dialogue may slacken in parts, but there is always the smoke and sizzle wafting through the air to hold one’s interest.
Director Johnston whips up a frenzy of activity among the kitchen denizens as they scurry through doors leading to the basement, the garbage dump and the dining room. It is no small feat to chop lettuce, flip burgers, or fill saltshakers while dialoguing, and these actors do a pretty good job of it.
The excellent Brian McNally’s hyperactive and emotionally unstable Matthew fulminates like a human powder keg about to explode. Rodney Freeman is top-drawer as seasoned fellow cook and resident philosopher Al, Matthew’s mentor and loyal friend. That kinship is evident early on when the two kitchen hands break out in a dance with broom and squeegee for partners. It’s a wonderful moment; funny, human and oddly touching.
Rollin “Mac” Michael is bark and bite as the scheming boss Spencer, who dupes Matthew into believing that bigger game awaits him. Cutting costs is a way of life for Spencer, a smooth operator in the corporate hierarchy. Spencer’s treatment of the illegal Guatamalan busboy Jimmy makes him a more sympathetic character.
Benjamin Gates’s ingenuous portrayal of the naïve and hopeful Jimmy is humorous, heartbreaking, and all too real. Eager to learn and be everything American, a wide-eyed Jimmy tries to follow Matthew’s moves without understanding a word. It’s a comic highpoint.
A smug Stuart Hoffman fits the role of the super-fit, by-the-books corporate clone Dennis, whose promotion over Matthew as kitchen manager leads to the tragic events that follow.
Amy (Bistok) Bunce is too monochromatic as Matthew’s wife Carol, who works as a waitress in the same restaurant as her husband. When Matthew informs Carol that he is not going to become kitchen manager, Bunce fails to express any surprise or change in emotion.
The play moves forward in fits and starts, rather than inexorably building toward the explosive climax. But the unequivocal picture of a dog-eat-dog world overrides the muddy plot development. It’s a bleak message for our times, in which the ruthless survive and the powerless lose.
WHAT: “International House of Hamburgers”
WHERE: The Bang and the Clatter Sometimes in the Silence Theatre Company, 224 Euclid Ave.
WHEN: Through Nov. 22
TICKETS & INFO: 330-606-5317
Contributing Writer
Cleveland playwright Cliff Hershman is an angry young man.
His slice-of-life drama “International House of Hamburgers,” a dark comedy about cutthroat capitalism, human exploitation and greed, holds up a mirror to today’s corporate climate. It’s not a pretty picture.
The world première is being presented at The Bang and the Clatter Sometimes in the Silence Theatre Company through Nov. 22.
Matthew, a failed writer, works as a cook at a chain restaurant. Frustrated over his lack of material success, his recent promotion to kitchen manager promises that things are finally looking up.
When the promotion proves a bogus one, an
increasingly desperate Matthew seeks revenge, destroying everyone who stands in his way.
Director Christopher Johnston finds the humor and the horror in Hershman’s message play. Like Arthur Miller, who wrote about the destructive forces of American capitalism in the 20th century, Hershman’s 90-minute work, presented without intermission, is a snapshot of “soulless capitalism” in the 21st century.
There are no shades of gray in the protagonist, who comes across as thoroughly dislikable and dishonorable. Matthew is the anti-hero who arouses a mix of loathing and sympathy; the antithesis of the tragically flawed human being.
Matthew’s discussion of primitive man serves as a powerful analogy throughout. He describes a prehistoric age when, in the “cradle of civilization,” humankind was divided into two subspecies – the leaf eaters and the hunters. The leaf eaters became extinct as the animal killers thrived. “We are all descendants of animal killers,” notes Matthew.
The unequivocal picture of a dog-eat-dog world.
Eat or be eaten is a powerful image that is exploited to great effect throughout the narrative. What better venue for serving such a message than a restaurant kitchen?Marcus Dana’s terrific naturalistic set includes a working grill, cooler and cutting table. Shelves are stacked with paper goods, condiments, cutlery and an assembly line of hamburger buns awaiting their fill. The dialogue may slacken in parts, but there is always the smoke and sizzle wafting through the air to hold one’s interest.
Director Johnston whips up a frenzy of activity among the kitchen denizens as they scurry through doors leading to the basement, the garbage dump and the dining room. It is no small feat to chop lettuce, flip burgers, or fill saltshakers while dialoguing, and these actors do a pretty good job of it.
The excellent Brian McNally’s hyperactive and emotionally unstable Matthew fulminates like a human powder keg about to explode. Rodney Freeman is top-drawer as seasoned fellow cook and resident philosopher Al, Matthew’s mentor and loyal friend. That kinship is evident early on when the two kitchen hands break out in a dance with broom and squeegee for partners. It’s a wonderful moment; funny, human and oddly touching.
Rollin “Mac” Michael is bark and bite as the scheming boss Spencer, who dupes Matthew into believing that bigger game awaits him. Cutting costs is a way of life for Spencer, a smooth operator in the corporate hierarchy. Spencer’s treatment of the illegal Guatamalan busboy Jimmy makes him a more sympathetic character.
Benjamin Gates’s ingenuous portrayal of the naïve and hopeful Jimmy is humorous, heartbreaking, and all too real. Eager to learn and be everything American, a wide-eyed Jimmy tries to follow Matthew’s moves without understanding a word. It’s a comic highpoint.
A smug Stuart Hoffman fits the role of the super-fit, by-the-books corporate clone Dennis, whose promotion over Matthew as kitchen manager leads to the tragic events that follow.
Amy (Bistok) Bunce is too monochromatic as Matthew’s wife Carol, who works as a waitress in the same restaurant as her husband. When Matthew informs Carol that he is not going to become kitchen manager, Bunce fails to express any surprise or change in emotion.
The play moves forward in fits and starts, rather than inexorably building toward the explosive climax. But the unequivocal picture of a dog-eat-dog world overrides the muddy plot development. It’s a bleak message for our times, in which the ruthless survive and the powerless lose.
WHAT: “International House of Hamburgers”
WHERE: The Bang and the Clatter Sometimes in the Silence Theatre Company, 224 Euclid Ave.
WHEN: Through Nov. 22
TICKETS & INFO: 330-606-5317
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