Goodman Theatre’s world premiere of “The Upstairs Concierge” is a play about The Hotelman Arms, a luxury boutique hotel in Chicago that serves every waking need (no matter how ridiculous) of each celebrity guest, and its upstairs concierge, Ella Elizondo, who tries desperately to put her degree in “Comprehension of Contemporary Conciergery” to the best use.
The play, which was written by Obie Award Winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristoffer Diaz, was developed over three years through a series of readings and improvisation workshops with actors and initially appeared on stage as a developmental production at the Goodman’s New Stages Festival in 2013. In an interview with Director of New Play Development Tanya Palmer, Diaz described the play as a classic farce with contemporary themes that, at its core, is about people looking for a connection and a community.
Directed by KJ Sanchez, “The Upstairs Concierge” is irreverent and occasionally entertaining, but it lacks any substance and presents a story that is hard to follow. In fact, by the end of the play, it still was not clear to me why all these celebrities (an author, a celebrity blogger and a YouTube viral sensation) chose to stay at The Hotelman Arms in the first place and what it was they wanted from each other.
Certainly a farce, the humor was at times funny, but for the most part unsophisticated. It was also too nonsensical and over done. The characters, in many of the scenes, were so out of control and manic, running around in their underwear, chasing each other around the lobby and up the staircases, and coming in and out of the hotel’s three rooms, that the plot and dialogue became lost beneath the insanity.
The play is engaging, however, mainly due to a very good cast. The actors make great use of the stage, popping in and out of the hotel’s rooms and cleverly using stage props and over exaggerated movements to make the audience laugh. The comedic banter between the actors is playful, quick and sharp. They interact naturally with each other, and it is clear that Sanchez cast a very talented group of performers who embodied well the unique personalities of their characters, from the uptight, naive, and eager-to-please Elizondo (Tawny Newsome) to the frank and stiff “New Yorker” and Yankees recruiter Mark Merriman (Theo Allyn). It’s also important to mention that this is an all-Chicago ensemble cast.
The characters were the most intriguing aspect of the play, since there were so many and they were all very different. Two goofy bellboys, an inventive and secretive author, a selfish and media obsessed celebrity blogger, an eager Houston Astros recruiter, an obsessed hotel manager, and more—all in one show! Additional main actors include Sandra Delgado, Alejandra Escalante, Jose Antonio Garcia, Gabriel Ruiz, John Stokvis, Mia Park, Travis Turner and Cedric Young.
The best way to describe “The Upstairs Concierge” is to say that it is a farce valued for the performance of its actors, but as far as an engaging and thoughtful story, there’s not much there. Even at times the comedy was too ridiculous. It’s the perfect play if you are looking for a good laugh and a silly evening.
“The Upstairs Concierge” runs through April 26 at Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. For tickets and more information, visit Goodman’s website.
