Ambitious one-person show premieres Friday at Winnipesaukee Playhouse

MEREDITH — “Fully Committed,” an ambitious one-person play, goes up at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse this week. In it, Robert Hooghkirk will perform as over 40 characters in just over an hour. 

Written by Becky Mode, the play, which premieres Friday, July 25, and runs through Saturday, Aug. 2, is a comedy about Sam, who runs the reservation phone line in the basement of a New York City restaurant. 

Producing Artistic Director Timothy L’Ecuyer thinks the show will be a big hit.

“It manages to be goofy and fun and silly, but also really have a heart,” L’Ecuyer said. “And you really form an attachment to this character, Sam.”

Hooghkirk said this is the first time he has performed in a one-actor play.

“I would say that this is one of the biggest, if not the most, artistic challenge that I have taken on.”

The play is the second one-person show staged at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse. The other, performed in 2021, was “Tell Me on a Sunday,” a musical written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black, with Ashley Meeken as the sole actor. “Fully Committed” was performed on Broadway in 2016.

This is Hooghkirk’s 11th show at the playhouse since 2022. L’Ecuyer said it takes a lot of trust to host a show with so much impetus placed on the actor, but he thinks Hooghkirk is the perfect one for the job.

“I've seen him play a variety of characters now, and he's such a committed, physical and vocal actor,” he said. “He's got such a great sense of comedic timing and physical comedy." 

Lesley Pankhurst, the playhouse patron and company services director, is impressed with the range Hooghkirk has shown during this week’s rehearsals, seeing him transform into these 40 characters during only an hour and 15 minutes.

“There's no transition. There's no, like, costume change or anything. You have to learn who the other characters he's interacting with, just by the face, the facial expressions and Robert's voice, and Robert's body and what he does,” she said.

For showtimes and tickets, visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

Hooghkirk has been acting for over 15 years, and is currently based in Long Beach, Long Island. That's where he grew up, performed in high school theater and was inspired by the Broadway shows he watched in the city after an hour's train commute. He went on to study theater at Long Island University. Despite his depth of experience, it requires all his effort to perfect this performance.

Hooghkirk said this play is unique compared with others.

“There are other one-person plays where they feel more like direct address, and your scene partner is the audience. It's kind of just like a big, long, extended monolog,” he said. “But this one, it's really contingent on me, listening to myself, and responding to myself, to whatever previous character I was, to keep moving the show forward.”

Hooghkirk emphasized the show could not be done without the behind-the-scenes crew. This includes director Tyler Christie, and Dan Daly, the set designer, who created the set in a way that interacts with each character, and contributes just as much to the story as the characters do. Hooghkirk also recognized those working the lights, sound, and costume design, which allow him to work in this “playground” on stage.

“There are just so many other artists who are doing the most incredible work to bring it to life. And they are very much a part of the play,” he said. “All of them are very much a part of this piece.”

Hooghkirk also gave advice to the audience, in hopes to orient them for what is to come.

“They are going to see a story, and there is just one storyteller to show you this buffet sampler platter of all the people that are involved in the story.”