For one-man play, one word: hilarious

One man, 42 personalities. But there's no need to call a psychiatrist. Ironically, television personality Dr. Phil McGraw is one of the many characters actor Scott Wichmann pulls from his wiry frame on the set of "Fully Committed," the show that earned Wichmann his Actor's Equity card in 2001. Playwright Becky Mode's outrageously funny one-man play captures a day in the life of Sam Peliczowski, the reservations clerk at a tony Manhattan restaurant.

Reservations need to be made up to two months in advance, and preferably at the "right" table, No. 31. But there are always exceptions, and at the beginning we learn that it's part of Sam's job to know the VIPs. Names are dropped freely and frequently, including those of Diane Sawyer and Naomi Campbell.

But poor Sam, the low man on this many-tiered totem pole, has to man the telephones alone. Sam's co-workers Bob and Sonya are out interviewing for another job and caring for an ailing dad, respectively, leaving Sam to cater to the whims of a megalomaniacal chef, demanding celebrities (Campbell, for instance, demands a table for 15 with a vegan menu), and fragile wannabes -- all played by Wichmann with exacting detail. Jean-Claude, the maItre d'hôtel who repeatedly refuses to take one regular customer's calls because she's "so ugly" and the 84-year-old woman who demands her senior citizen discounts -- even though the restaurant has a prix fixe menu ranging from $100 to $200 per head -- stand out among a field of favorite caricatures.

Wichmann's idiosyncratic voices and gestures for each character are crystal clear and ring of authenticity, from the outré gay assistant to the overbearing chef who demands that Sam clean a filthy women's toilet before the illustrious Mrs. Zagat (of restaurant-ranking fame) steps inside. The chef later calls Sam in his windowless, basement office to ask how gross the task was -- and then berates him for actually following orders. Sam, in fact, takes orders from everyone until, one day, all the bits and pieces of information he has gathered from his phone duties begin to form into an empowering plan.

It's heartwarming, subtle and heroic to watch Sam learn to take control of his own destiny, learn to manipulate the situation and the system for his own advantage, and change subtly from underdog to top dog.

Steve Perigard directs, although Wichmann seems to need very little direction. The very utilitarian set was designed by Terrie Powers and David Powers and lit unobtrusively by Slade Billew. "Fully Committed" runs through Aug. 30, which will be Wichmann's 36th birthday and his last day as a civilian before he departs for his next role -- as a U.S. Navy Reserve recruit.

Julinda Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer living in eastern Henrico County. She can be contacted at .