Review: Pony World's SUFFERING, INC. Surprisingly Fun

There are some productions where you hear the description and think to yourself, "this is either going to be amazing, or a complete dumpster fire." Those were my feelings going to see Pony World Theater's production of "Suffering, Inc.," a modern take on Chekhovian realism where every line of dialogue was cut and pasted from seven different Anton Chekhov plays.

I am pleased to report that this high-stakes show was, in fact, quite good. And although Chekhov's bone-dry humor and bleak hyper-realism is not everyone's cup of tea, director BrenDan Healy conceived of a production that paid homage and felt very digestible for any theater goer (Chekhov fan or not). How? By making "Suffering, Inc." whimsical and funny.

"Suffering, Inc." takes place in a relatively modern office space where New Life Capital's seven employees quietly suffer for various individual reasons. Take the maudlin, aging Ivan (Mark Fullerton) who sticks it out at the thankless insurance company simply because he is one year away from his pension. Colorful Natalie (Heather Persinger) flaunts her boredom as she dreams of writing her novel. Hopeless romantic Sonia (Carrie Cates) gets tongue tied around Michael (Rudy Roushdi), whom is too busy complaining about the dismal state of the environment to notice Sonia's blatant affection for him. Beautiful and cold Irene (Megan Jackson) seems to find enjoyment only by belittling her coworkers and boss, Alexander (J. Martin Dinn), who has to verbally berate his staff to get any real work done. The only character with pep in their step, the young secretary Anna (Kenna Kettrick), is dismissed for her naiveté.

I warn you, Act I as a whole is a little boring. And I understand why it had to be, since Chekhov was all about showcasing the doldrums. You will be watching seven unhappy people go to work and do boring office things. But it has enough little funny moments to keep you engaged, and, trust me, not only will Act II make more sense, but the entertainment payoff is huge. Unlike Chekhov's tales of woe where suffering is inevitable and static, "Suffering, Inc." explores the consequences of soul-sucking monotony when one hits rock bottom, and life forces you to make a choice. The raw, surreal manifestation of each employee's breaking points feels not only feasible, but inevitable. And, boy is it funny.

This cast did a wonderful job giving archetypal office workers the right touches of dimension to make them feel real. Though pitiful, Mark Fullerton made sure that Ivan never once felt pathetic. Heather Persinger's Natalie navel-gazey and relatable. Megan Jackson made me weep with laughter as cold-hearted Irene, particularly in Act II. Carrie Cates' Sonia was sweet and odd (in a good way). Rudy Roushdi did a great job portraying the mild-mannered, environmentalist Michael that was conceivably irresistible to women despite his hate for people and his habit of talking to plants. Despite Alexander and Anna's boss/secretary relationship not being particularly interesting, Kenna Kettrick's plucky portrayal of Anna and J. Martin Dinn's festering madness made it unique.

Everything about this office space felt very real, from the red licorice in the staff kitchen to the "Keep Calm and Label Your Food" posters. Set designer Robin Macartney really nailed it. There is one caveat to office-space realism for the stage in that in a real office, there is a bunch of stuff happening at once. As an audience member, I warn you, there will be moments where something funny will happen in one cubicle cluster that you may miss because another cubicle cluster having small-talk had your attention. It's hyper-realistic, but also frustrating.

At times, the dialogue feels a little clunky and anachronistic, but that might be inevitable given how the script was constructed. I applaud Pony World for taking on such a daunting project and, ultimately, pulling it off in such an enjoyable way. It felt like a Chekhov play with butterfly wings. Thus, I give "Suffering, Inc." a truly impressed 4.5/5 stars. For a play called "Suffering, Inc.," it was a lot of fun to watch.

"Suffering, Inc." performs at 12th Avenue Arts through July 30, 2016. For tickets and information, visit them online at www.ponyworld.org.

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