ONE MAN WHO'S 'FULLY' INVESTED DO YOU HAVE RESERVATIONS FOR BEST TABLE IN TOWN?Byline: Evan Henerson Staff Writer Shove aside the zaniness, the utter madcappery of a day in the life of a harried reservations clerk, and you'll discover the very deep satisfaction of watching people get what's coming to them. In ``Fully Committed (Law) committed to prison for trial, in distinction from being detained for examination. See also: Fully ,'' Sam, the would-be actor who is just trying to do his job and find a way to get home for Christmas, sees a very bad day turn good. That the same actor plays Sam and all of his tormentors is both the gimmick of ``Fully Committed'' and its selling point. Folks who missed Mark Setlock - creator of the role with playwright Becky Mode - will in no way be disappointed by the work of his replacement, Ethan Sandler. Sandler's tour of duty in ``Fully Committed'' runs through January at the Coronet Theatre, and he, like the play, is wonderful. Sandler's got a slightly worried face; he looks like Norm Macdonald's better-looking kid brother. Most importantly, he's got the energy to pilot Sam through crisis after crisis. Sam books reservations for one of those ultra-exclusive New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of restaurants that mere mortals aren't allowed to patronize pa·tron·ize tr.v. pa·tron·ized, pa·tron·iz·ing, pa·tron·iz·es 1. To act as a patron to; support or sponsor. 2. To go to as a customer, especially on a regular basis. 3. (``fully committed'' is the new term for ``booked up''). On a cold December day, Sam finds himself left in the lurch as the only working reservationist, and pulled into service to do everything from making sure Naomi Campbell gets the appropriate lighting at her table, to cleaning up an unfortunate accident in the women's restroom. The owner/chef is a capricious egocentric egocentric /ego·cen·tric/ (-sen´trik) self-centered; preoccupied with one's own interests and needs; lacking concern for others. e·go·cen·tric adj. martinet mar·ti·net n. 1. A rigid military disciplinarian. 2. One who demands absolute adherence to forms and rules. [After Jean Martinet (died 1672), French army officer. , the maitre d' is a mean-spirited coke hound, and the folks in the kitchen are to busy to prepare Sam any food. What's a boy to do? Complicating matters are the constantly buzzing phones: the octogenarian oc·to·ge·nar·i·an adj. Being between 80 and 90 years of age. n. A person between 80 and 90 years of age. wondering why she didn't get her AARP AARP, a nonprofit, nonpartisan national organization dedicated to "enriching the experience of aging"; membership is open to people age 50 or older. Founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus as American Association of Retired Persons, AARP now has over 30 million discount, the pushy push·y adj. push·i·er, push·i·est Disagreeably aggressive or forward. push  i·ly adv. secretaries trying to book their bosses, the society matrons by turns angry and hysterical. Sandler plays them all, jumping from character to character, phone line to phone line, with blinding efficiency. He should not be missed. Neither should ``Fully Committed.'' ``FULLY COMMITTED'' Where: Coronet Theatre, 366 N. La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood. When: 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday; indefinitely. Tickets: $25 to $45. Call (310) 657-7377. Our rating: Four stars CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Ethan Sandler plays a multitude of characters in the highly energetic one-man show ``Fully Committed,'' at the Coronet Theatre in Los Angeles. |
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