Theater review: Ambiguity works for ‘Lobby Hero'

Kenneth Lonergan’s “Lobby Hero,” the second effort from the fledgling Pinch n’ Ouch Theatre, makes an interesting follow-up and companion piece to the group’s first show, Neil LaBute’s “Reasons to Be Pretty.”

Both plays are smartly written slices of contemporary life, and both of them involve four characters who couldn’t be much harder to read.

Ambiguity is a good thing, of course, when the alternative often means stories about utterly familiar figures expressing utterly predictable thoughts and behavior. If you were never sure whom to believe among the two feuding couples in “Reasons,” you’ll be equally confounded by which of Lonergan’s characters is supposed to be the “Hero.”

There’s Jeff (Andrew Puckett), a recovering slacker who works the overnight shift as a security guard in a New York apartment building. He seems nice enough, although he’s excessively chatty, and whenever he talks about cultivating his potential or aiming higher in life, it’s not entirely clear whether he’s being serious or just buttering up his boss.

That’s William (Enoch King), a by-the-book type who finds himself in a bind, forced to practice what he’s always preaching about civic duty and personal responsibility. Somewhat illogically, he confides in Jeff about the dire circumstances of his no-good brother, who has been implicated in a horrific crime and turns to William for a false alibi.

Enter two beat cops, Bill (Larry Jr.) and Dawn (Portia Cue). She’s an impressionable rookie, and he’s more than willing to take her under his wing, so to speak. That they’re having an affair is no secret, but as the plot thickens, it raises certain doubts about their actions. Are they police officers with a job to do, or petty lovers with a score to settle?

Producing artistic director Grant McGowen’s steady Pinch n’ Ouch staging is bolstered by the strong performances of his cast. What’s initially impressive is how sharply defined their roles seem to be, but as some of the play’s ulterior motives develop, each of the four actors provides a credible contrast and texture that keeps us guessing. In a number of heated exchanges, they also skillfully handle the demands of Lonergan’s dense, overlapping dialogue.

It’s another moderately challenging show for such a new group in town, and the production values -- including Nadia Morgan’s spacious but understated set -- are respectable. Admirable, too, is McGowen’s sense of timing. Just as “Reasons” debuted back in the summer, when a lot of other theaters are dormant, “Hero” arrives as a last reprieve of sorts before the annual onslaught of all the usual holiday-related suspects.

Keep it up, guys.

Theater review

“Lobby Hero”

Grade: B