Review: AMERICAN HERO Takes on the Franchise System, at Artists Rep

What do you do if you work at a fast-food franchise that's been abandoned by the manager, but instructed by corporate to stay open, even without supplies?

This is exactly the situation in which three "sandwich artists" find themselves in Bess Wohl's AMERICAN HERO, now playing at Artists Repertory Theatre. The play is a comedic semi-skewering of the franchise system, which promises the American Dream, but all too often turns into a financial trap -- for owners and workers alike.

As the play opens, Sheri, Jamie, and Ted are starting work at a new sandwich shop owned by Bob, an immigrant who was a doctor in his home country. Sheri is an 18 year-old working two fast-food jobs to pay for her father's medical care, Jamie is a 30-something with three kids and a custody battle, and Ted is an MBA who has recently been let go from Bank of America. They all need work, and the Tasty Torpedo sandwich franchise represents their best prospect.

Everything goes swimmingly, at least during training, as Sheri, Jamie, and Ted master the art of making a sandwich in 20 seconds. But then Bob fails to show up for opening day, the supplies stop coming, and the only advice anyone can get from corporate is "stay open." One night in a dream, Sheri is visited by a giant talking sandwich, which tells her that only she can keep the store going. Filled with a new inspiration, Sheri revamps the menu, and they start serving a variety of homemade sandwiches: Sheri's famous tuna salad, PB&J, "Just Butter," and others. The store thrives, not thanks to the any corporate system, but rather because of individual ingenuity and pluckiness.

Don't worry -- I didn't just give away the whole plot.

I said "semi-skewering" because Wohl frequently trades clarity for comedy, and the message of the play (if there is one) isn't entirely clear. For example, we're supposed to empathize with Sheri, Jamie, and Ted, but none of them is very believable, or really very likeable. And while working in a dead end job isn't anyone's ideal situation, both Ted and Jamie have made decisions that explain in part how they got there and detract from our ability to root for them wholeheartedly. Wohl also makes a point to tell us that no one at Tasty Torpedo is happy -- not the low-paid workers, the decently paid management, or even the presumably highly paid CEO. It starts out looking like a commentary on how the franchise system is unfair to the people at the bottom of the pyramid, and turns into a bit of a pity party for everyone.

Despite the weakness of the script, I did very much enjoy the performances! In particular, Emily Eisele is fantastic in her role of Sheri, the directionless Millennial. Walk into any franchise across America, and you'll likely find someone exactly like her. As Ted, Gavin Hoffman has the perfect combination of inner conflict and unshakable optimism. And it's pretty tough not to like Val Landrum, even as the bitter, foul-mouthed Jamie.

Overall, I liked AMERICAN HERO, and if you're looking for a comedy, I recommend it -- just enjoy the laughs and don't try to read too much into it.

AMERICAN HERO plays through October 30. Details and tickets here.

Photo credit: Owen Carey

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