A 15-minute quickie

First let me explain that "Naked Ambition," produced by Rick Fonte, is a part of the Bloomington Playwright Project's "Dark Alley" Series. It feels like it too. You walk into the main gallery, down a little hallway, around corners and through black drapes into a dark room with 50 or so people sitting on the sides. The people look curious, guilty or like they're trying to stifle an imminent giggle fit. You feel as if you've just entered the back room of an adult bookstore.\nUnfortunately, "Naked Ambition," a play written by Eric Pfeffinger and directed by Scot Greenwell, is hardly more than juvenile. Which isn't to say it isn't fun -- or a good escape from ordinary theater. It is amusing, and there was hardly a moment when the audience wasn't at least chuckling. But there is certainly a suspicion that several of those laughing are doing so simply because they are a little uncomfortable with this new medium and can't figure out what else to do. The humor is the kind made by the water fountain at work, at the check-out stand or in office e-mail forwards. But what can I say? The boss is blind, the two main characters are nearly naked and another guy -- who hardly ever shows up -- ends the show in Superman boxers. It might be worth it to go just for those aspects; after all, the play is only about 15 minutes long. \nDespite the adolescent feeling of this play, playwright Eric Pfeffinger is no amateur. He is well known throughout the Midwest and has had his plays performed from coast to coast. "Naked Ambition" itself was performed at the Vital Theatre Company in New York City. \nDirector Scot Greenwell is no a drama novice either. Despite recently returning from stints on selected television series such as "Days of our Lives," "The Man Show" and "Popstars," Greenwell seemed to be perfectly happy working on this show in Bloomington. \nThe star of the show, however, was Nicole Bruce, who played secretary to Maria Dahman's boss figure. In a show concerning illicit office fantasies coming to life, Bruce provided a certain grounding in reality. Her acting was believable and her expressions hilarious. She captivated the audience with her humor -- when it wasn't looking at her ample, and for the most part exposed, bosom. \nDahman and Alan Shepard, who played Bruce's lover and a cog in the company wheel, both performed with reasonable talent as well. Nothing exceptional, but the flow of the play was never interrupted by incompetent acting. \nThere isn't a lot to say about Brian G. Hartz, because he only had about 10 lines and was onstage only briefly. He is certainly memorable for his ridiculous boxers, but that's about it. I suppose comedy is all about timing, and he did have timing -- if very little time -- onstage. \nAll in all, the humor was a little adolescent, and the acting was of small-town theater caliber. It was a brief episode outside the box of traditional comedy. It sought to shock a little and give the audience a legitimate look at its fantasies, and I think it succeeded at both. It was, however, neither avant-garde nor tasteful. If five bucks is worth 15 minutes of nudity and bawdy office humor, then I suggest you see it the next time it's in town.