BRATTLEBORO — Vermont Theatre Company announces its first production of the 2017-18 season, The Receptionist, a dark comedy by Adam Bock, directed by William Wieliczka.
Performances are Sept. 29 and 30, and Oct. 6 and 7, at 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 1 and 8 at 3 p.m., at the Hooker-Dunham Theater, 139 Main St.
The Receptionist begins in a typical office at the start of a typical day as Beverly, the receptionist, effortlessly handles incoming calls and the usual office drama and gossip. However, today their routine is turned upside down when the head office sends a rep to investigate the mishandling of a client. Beverly is charmed, Lorraine is smitten, and Mr. Raymond is caught completely off guard when handsome Mr. Dart arrives unannounced.
Suddenly the company's true purpose is revealed and things take a dark turn as the play questions institutionalized evil and the rationale of those who are culpable.
The New York Times calls it “Mr. Bock's poisoned Post-it note of a play,” and Time Out New York says, “Bock's intense initial focus on the routine goes to the heart of “The Receptionist's pointed, painfully timely allegory ... elliptical, provocative play ….” Adam Bock's plays include Phaedra, A Small Fire, (Drama Desk nomination), the book for We Have Always Lived in the Castle, The Receptionist, and the Obie Award-winning The Thugs.
VTC's production of The Receptionist is directed by William Wieliczka and produced by Michelle Page. The cast features Adrienne Major (Beverly Wilkins, the receptionist), Andrew LaPenta (Mr. Dart), Michael Sola (Mr. Raymond), and Gaia Posner (Lorraine Taylor).