‘American Hero’ at the Playhouse’s Upstairs Gem, the Carrie Hamilton Theater

THEATRE REVIEW

Anna LaMadrid, Laura Mann, Graham Outerbridge and Rodney To in American Hero (Photo – Dean Cechvala).

I haven’t seen a play at the Carrie Hamilton Theater, the 99-seat black box theater upstairs at the Pasadena Playhouse, in quite awhile, so I was excited to hear that it was active again.

By Carol Edger Germain

Guest theater company IAMA Theater is dusting it off and livening it up with “American Hero,” written by Beth Wohl and directed by James Eckhouse, an energetic exercise in dark humor that kept me laughing throughout, even though I was absorbing the deeper social and political issues to a certain extent. But overall the humor is the selling point.

A well cast troupe with excellent timing and chemistry provided an audience in need of laughs (or is it just me that’s mentally burdened by these troubling times?) with nearly overlapping opportunities to laugh at the absurd situations occurring inside the Tasty Torpedo, a Subway-esque sandwich shop. Generically Middle-Eastern Bob (Rodney To) has purchased the sandwich franchise, and has hastily assembled a team of three “sandwich artists” (Laura Mann, a socially awkward young girl with limited aspirations; Anna LaMadrid, a fierce single mom; and Graham Outerbridge, a former banker downgraded to a position he intends to elevate to match his skills rather than looking down on it). He’s on a mission to train his team to compile their culinary creations in 20 seconds per sandwich, then become an “absentee employer” and sit back and enjoy the profits. The team is fairly diligent and united, but also do not make any serious attempts to keep their personal quirks in check, which creates plenty of opportunities for wit and humor. The deteriorating situation in the shop, due to Bob’s mysterious disappearance and the team’s resulting inability to continue getting ingredients on credit, opens up plenty of funny moments as the crew is determined to keep the business profitable.

Laura Mann, Graham Outerbridge, Anna LaMadrid, Rodney To (Photo – Dean Cechvala).

Grab a seat in this cozy theater and get ready ready to share some laughs with your fellow audience members. And keep your eyes open for more theatrical offerings at the Playhouse’s mini-theater.

American Hero
• Written by Bess Wohl
• Directed by James Eckhouse
• Presented by IAMA Theatre Company
Carrie Hamilton Theatre at the Pasadena Playhouse
39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena CA 91101
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: , Oct. 12, Oct. 19
Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 13, Oct. 20
Sundays at 7 p.m.: Oct. 14, Oct. 21
• $36 (discount tickets at goldstar.com)
Purchase here.