Act Your Wage: The Pink Slip and Fall of an Automotive CEO
Having missed Kwame a River and Kwame a River 2: The Wrath of Conyers, the highly lauded predecessors to Andiamo Novi's latest installment in the local-spoof canon, I have no basis of comparison for Act Your Wage: The Pink Slip and Fall of an Automotive CEO. This 60-minute comedy attempts to lampoon greedy, inept auto executives, a topic in which Southeast Michigan has been actively entrenched for months upon months, but shies away from openly mocking; the resulting vague and allegoric premise — albeit mixed in with some great bits — is tepid where it might have scorched.
Fittingly for a production on a former Second City stage, Act Your Wage is strikingly similar to a Second City revue, with a bare set, jump-cuts and other familiar scenic devices, nods to audience suggestions, and a handful of musical numbers. Yet this production puts story first, requiring expository and transitional scenes that aren't always funny; moreover, the story itself is pretty messy. CEO loses job, loses car, loses wife, is briefly introduced to how the other half lives (supposedly in order to "gain perspective," a eureka moment that never quite materializes), panics about money, flails about for a new job, and finds his calling just in time for the finale. Themes are embraced, then put on hold for another narrative thread. The script can't decide whether it wants to deliver a coherent story or just string together as many hilarious scenes as possible, and instead falls short of both.
Even in the face of the many acoustic challenges of the Andiamo Novi performance space, the original music (by writer/performer Mike Shreeman and musical director John Edwartowski) was a bright spot in the production. Confident singing and basic choreography kept the action moving, and the fun use of refrains and counterpoint were welcome supplements. Stage manager Ed Cosgriff executed fairly demanding light and sound cues with aplomb, and the staging worked well within the constraints of the theater's fairly rigid lighting scheme.
Of the five performers, Jamaal Hines was the standout, bringing consistently high energy and sharp timing — even to a brief appearance as the late Billy Mays, an inexact impression that nevertheless captured the spirit of the original. As disgraced former CEO "Phil Ritz," Shreeman was best when the character was out of his comfort zone; the scene in which Ritz desperately e-mailed HR managers was one of my favorites. A gifted improviser, Shreeman effortlessly incorporated audience suggestions into the scene, which is always marvelous to watch when done well. Rounding out the ensemble were Sharon Brooks, Lesa Doa, and Pete Podolski, who served up some dynamite characters scattered among bland or safe throwaways.
Written by Shreeman, Hines, and director Raelene Graham, Act Your Wage rewards along the journey, but it's a bumpy ride. The lackluster story and few scripted jokes puts the burden of humor onto the performances, which shine at times but don't reconcile the timid jabs at the situation Wage purports to skewer. Fans of sketch comedy will find elements to enjoy, but audiences craving some well-deserved comeuppance may not reach catharsis here.
January 9, 2010