FULLY COMMITTED

by Becky Mode

Based on characters created

by Becky Mode and Mark Setlock

Dramaturgy

Compiled by Jessica López-Barkl

 1

Table of Contents
Concept Page 4
Synopsis Pages 5-8
Playwrights/Composers/Lyricists Pages 9-10
Production History Page 11
Cast List Page 12
YouTube Playlist Link Page 12
The Form Pages 12-65
Victorian Style Pages 12-19
Background Page 20
Characters Pages 21-64
Leitmotifs Pages 64-65
Vocabulary Pages 65-112
Dialects Page 112

*Most of the information in this compilation was gathered from internet resources, utilizing Google,
unless specifically noted before the entry.

1
2

2
 3

Concept
These images will be in the dramaturgy packet and in the Pinterest Board.

Our collective of artists:

1. Director: Michael Jablonski

2. Scenic Designer:
3. Costume Designer:
4. Lighting Designer:
5. Props Master: Lorelei Davis
6. Sound Designer:
7. Company Manager: Christina Smanie
8. PSM:
9. ASM: TBD
10. Production Manager: Dylan Bartlett
11. Technical Director: Rey Hill

Pinterest Board:

FULLY COMMITTED by Becky Mode

Synopsis on the back of the script
This devastatingly funny one act follows a day in the life of Sam Piliczowski, an
out-of-work actor who mans the red-hot reservation line at Manhattan’s number-one
restaurant. Coercion, threats, bribes, histrionics - a cast of desperate callers will stop at
nothing in their zeal to land a prime reservation, or the right table. Amid the barrage,
Sam’s got his own needs to contend with - his recently widowed dad wants him home
for Christmas, and he’s up for a choice part at Lincoln Center. While juggling scheming
socialites, name-dropping wannabes, fickle celebrities and egomaniacal bosses, can he
manage to look out for himself? A wonderful acting challenge. FULLY COMMITTED has
over forty wildly diverse characters designed to be played by a single versatile
performer.

3
 4

Becky Mode, playwright - biography from The Alley Theatre

Becky Mode's first play, Fully Committed, opened at the Vineyard Theatre in 1999 and ran
Off-Broadway for a year and a half at the Cherry Lane Theatre. Time Magazine named it one
of the ten best plays of 2000, and since 2001 it has been one of the ten most produced plays
in the United States, with extended commercial runs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston,
London and Paris. The play has traveled to Finland, Japan, South Africa, Brazil, Australia,
Sweden, Estonia and Poland. In 2016, Fully Committed had a limited run on Broadway at the
LyceumTheater starring Jesse Tyler Ferguson, directed by Jason Moore.

Becky is currently in pre-production on "Until the Wedding," a pilot she wrote for ABC. Most
recently, she was a writer and co-executive producer on “Unbelievable,” a limited series for
Netflix. Before that, worked as a consulting producer on "SEAL Team" for CBS and “Feed
The Beast” on AMC and created/executive produced the pilot of “Four Stars” for CBS.

She has also worked as a consulting producer for “Smash” (NBC) and “A Gifted Man” (CBS)
and as a writer on “Cosby,” “Little Bill,” “Out of the Box,” and HBO’s “A Little Curious.” She
has developed and produced pilots for HBO, ABC, CBS, and NBC.

Before becoming a writer, Becky worked as an actor. She went to graduate school at the
American Repertory Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard. Favorite
roles include Ann the librarian in Daisy Mayer’s cult classic Party Girl, Susan Walker in Ann
Bogart’s Once in a Lifetime, and the young Jane Seymour in A&E’s “I Remember You,”
opposite Clark Gregg and Daniel J. Travanti. She also spent many years waitressing, coat
checking and taking phone reservations at some of New York’s finest restaurants.

Becky lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and their two children, Leo and Katie.

Mark Setlock - creator, biography from imdb.com

The youngest of an Italian-Polish family of 4 children from Cleveland, Ohio. He received
a B.F.A. in acting from Kent State University, and also studied at the American
Repertory Theatre Institute at Harvard University. He has lived in New York City since
1992, and has appeared on Broadway in "Rent", and has acted in many plays Off and
Off-Off-Broadway, and received an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Drama Desk
nomination for appearing in the solo show "Fully Committed". He went on to do runs of
the show in Los Angeles, Boston, and London's West End. He helped create the play
with playwright Becky Mode. He is also co-creator of the solo show "This Wonderful
Life", an homage to the film "This Wonderful Life", with playwright Steve Murray. Mark
performed the show in Portland, Oregon in the Winter of 2005 He is co-author of the
play "Pageant Play" with actor Matthew Wilkas. The play received its world premiere in
2007.

4
 5

Production History
FULLY COMMITTED was originally developed at the Adirondack Theatre Festival
(Martha Banta, Artistic Director; David Turner, Producing Director), Glen Falls, NY, in
June 1998. It was directed by Philip Shneidman; the lighting design by Jamie Pusateri;
and the sound design was by Douglas Graves. The actor was Mark Setlock.

FULLY COMMITTED received its world premiere in September 1999 at the Vineyard
Theatre (Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director; Barbara Zinn Krieger, Executive Director;
Jeffrey Solis, Managing Director) in New York City. It was directed by Nicholas Martin;
the set design was by James Noone; the lighting design was by Frances Aronson; the
sound design by Bruce Ellman; and the production stage manager was Bess Marie
Glorioso. The actor was Mark Setlock.

The Vineyard Theatre production of FULLY COMMITTED was subsequently presented

Off-Broadway by David Stone, Jesse L. Martin, Adam Pascal and Susan Quint Gallin at
The Cherry Lane Theatre (Angelina Fiordellisi, Executive Director; Joyce
DiNicola-Friedman, Chief Financial Officer) in New York City.

Other Broadway Production:

Previews: April 02, 2016

Opening: April 25, 2016

Closing: July 31, 2016

Theatres: Lyceum Theatre (Broadway) (New York,

NY)
4/2/2016 - 7/31/2016

Production Premiere
Type:

Run Type: Limited Run

Market: Broadway

Running Time: One hour and 30 minutes, with no

intermission

Intermissions:

Official Website http://fullycommittedbroadway.com/

5
 6

Other Productions of Fully Committed

1999 Off-Broadway
Vineyard Theatre

2016 Broadway Original Broadway

Production

Fully Committed - 2016 Broadway Awards and Nominations

Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Year Ceremony Category Nominee

2016 BroadwayWorld Best Leading Actor in a Play Jesse Tyler

Awards Ferguson

2016 Drama Desk Outstanding Set Design for a Derek McLane

Awards Play

2016 Drama Desk Outstanding Solo Performance Jesse Tyler

Awards Ferguson

2016 Drama League Distinguished Performance

Awards Award

Characters with Dialects - 1 actor; 40 characters: [ ] male, [ ]

The performer will play forty different characters, including the reservationist, the chef,
the maitre d’, and all the various customers. Although FULLY COMMITTED was written
with a male actor in mind, the role of Sam could easily be played by a woman.

SAM - A twenty-something out-of-work actor from the Midwest. Sam is a boy's name
with biblical ties. The name Sam is of Hebrew origin and is often used as a nickname for
Samuel. Its meanings include "told by God" and "God hears." In the Old Testament,
Samuel is featured as a prophet and judge of the Israelites.

MRS. VANDEVERE - an old-moneyed Park Avenue socialite, on all the right social
calendars and terminally dissatisfied. The modern equivalent of landed gentry.
Vandevere: Dutch surname that translates literally to “from the ferry”.

6
 7

BRYCE - (Original script - Naomi Campbell’s personal assistant). Gwyneth Paltrow’s

personal assistant. Aggressively friendly and extremely effeminate, Bryce treats his
work with the utmost gravity, as a neurosurgeon might. The name Bryce is both a boy's
name and a girl's name of Scottish origin meaning "speckled, freckled". This spelling of
Brice relates the name to Utah's spectacular Bryce Canyon -- and is much more popular
for both genders than the original Brice.

(original script) THE SHEIK’S RIGHT-HAND MAN - completely humorless.

MRS. WINSLOW - the fine, understanding wife of a Southern executive. Brimming with
charm. English: habitational name from Winslow, a place in Buckinghamshire named
from the genitive case of the Old English personal name or byname Wine (meaning
'friend') + Old English hlaw 'hill', 'mound', 'barrow'.

BOB - more self-important and condescending than many a customer, he is the

reservations manager. Afflicted with a loud annoying laugh. Fame; Bright. Bob is a boy's
name of British origin. Though the name is associated with something simple, it's not
one to be looked over. Bob means "fame" or "bright" and is perfectly suited to the little
star in your family.

MIDWESTERN SECRETARY - sensible and plainspoken.

CAROLANN ROSENSTEIN-FISHBURN - the ultimate restaurant regular. An iron-willed,

nouveau-riche (Nouveau riche is a term used, usually in a derogatory way, to describe
those whose wealth has been acquired within their own generation, rather than by
familial inheritance. The equivalent English term is the "new rich" or "new money".),
helmet-haired (Hair sprayed stiff. Can there ever be enough hairspray?) socialite with
far too much time on her hands. Carolann = “Free Man”. Jewish (Ashkenazic):
ornamental name compound from German Rosen- 'rose' + Stein 'stone'. German:
habitational name from a place so named. As a component of place names, stein 'rock',
'stone' typically signifies a stone structure such as a castle or house. Fishburn - Both
locations derive their name from the Old English "fisc" + "burna," which combined meant
"fish stream, stream where fish are caught." There is another Fishbourne on the Isle of
Wight that dates back to 1267 when it was known as Fisseburne.

STEPHANIE - the sweet-tempered British luncheon hostess. Stephanie = crown.

OSCAR - the restaurant’s (original script fifty-two-year-old Lebanese) business

manager. Gentle, distracted, eccentric. The name is derived from two elements in Irish:

7
 8

the first, os, means "deer"; the second element, car, means "loving" or "friend", thus
"deer-loving one" or "friend of deer".

CHEF - Though he makes a big show of modesty, the Chef is a world-class narcissist,
obsessively cultivating his own star status and worshiping at the altar of celebrity. Vain,
petulant and mildly thuggish, the Chef seems more like an overgrown frat boy than the
international culinary sensation that he is. He talks in an ultra-cool, disaffected,
offhandedly sexy way, almost as if he’s giving phoine sex. Early 19th century: French,
literally ‘head’.

SAM’S DAD - (original script - a retired auto mechanic) A retired gym teacher from the
Midwest. Very sentimental when it comes to Sam, but not accustomed to expressing
emotion.

(original script) MRS. WATANABE - a painfully soft-spoken Japanese tourist. She

understands very little English, but has learned a few words to help with making a
reservation and the like. Japanese: one of the ten most common surnames, especially
in eastern Japan. The original meaning was occupational: Wataribe 'ferrymen's guild'.
Some bearers descend from Minamoto no Toru (822–895), a son of Emperor Saga. A
common alternate reading is Watabe.

JERRY MILLER - an old acting schoolmate of Sam’s. (original script - An unctuous,

competitive sycophant) Passive-aggressive, violently self-involved falsely humble
(original script - a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to
gain advantage: mid 16th century (denoting an informer): from French sycophante, or
via Latin from Greek sukophantēs ‘informer’, from sukon ‘fig’ + phainein ‘to show’,
perhaps with reference to making the insulting gesture of the ‘fig’ (sticking the thumb
between two fingers) to informers). (If the role of SAM is played by a woman, the role of
JERRY should be reconceived as female. Let’s call her JENNY.) Popularity:1516.
Meaning:Of Gerald; Spear. Jerry is a gender-neutral name of English origin. A
diminutive form of Gerald originally, but now a playful way to pay homage to any of the
Geralds in your life. Miller: one who grinds grain. Miller as a boy's name is pronounced
MIL-er. It is of Old English origin, and the meaning of Miller is "one who grinds grain".

JEAN-CLAUDE - the original French maitre d’. Wildly theatrical and drunk with his own
power, he indiscriminately humiliates the various waiters, busboys and customers who
cross him. Prone to frequent tantrums and intermittent bouts of charm, Jean-Claude can
turn on a dime. One minute he’s filled with contempt for the entire universe and the next
he’s maniacally fawning over a big tipper. God remits (cancel or refrain from exacting or

8
 9

inflicting (a debt or punishment)). Jean Claude is a boy's name. Its usage is in Hebrew
(God remits) and Latin.

CURTIS - Sam’s agent’s assistant. A highly therapized pontificator. (original script - He

has the aura of a queenie hairdresser - super bitchy, with a thick, almost Nuyorican
accent. Loves to pontificate and has a soft spot for Sam.) Curtis or Curtiss is a common
English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin from the Old French curteis
(Modern French courtois) which ultimately derived from the Spanish Cortés (of which
Cortez is a variation) and the Portuguese and Galician Cardoso. The name means
"polite, courteous, or well-bred".

(original script) BELL ATLANTIC RECORDING WOMAN

(original script) SEXY RECORDED VOICE

DOMINICK VECCINI - a low-level mobster. Dominic is a name common among Roman

Catholics and other Latin-Romans as a male given name. Originally from the late
Roman-Italic name "Dominicus", its translation means "Lordly", "Belonging to God" or
"of the Master".

MRS. SEBAG (pronounced seabag) - always on the verge of total hysteria, waiting for
the world to go wrong for her. She aggressively commandeers a large household staff,
her husband Stanley, and anyone else who will let her. The English meaning of Sebag
is Dyer. The name Sebag is of Arabic origin. There are many indicators that the name
Sebag may be of Jewish origin, emanating from the Jewish communities of Spain and
Portugal.

HECTOR - (original script - a line cook) A prep cook from the Dominican Republic who
does the chef’s ordering and prepares the staff meal. Good at the requisite macho
kitchen posturing, he is actually a closet softie. Hector (/ˈhɛktər/) is an English, French,
Scottish, and Spanish given name. The name is derived from the name of Hektor, a
legendary Trojan champion who was killed by the Greek Achilles. The name Hektor is
probably derived from the Greek ékhein, meaning "to have", "to hold", "to check",
"restrain".

MRS. BUXBAUM - a horrible combination of paranoid and aggressive, Mrs. Buxbaum is

a reservationist’s worst nightmare. Buxbaum is a German surname meaning box tree.
Notable people with the surname include: Franz Buxbaum (1900–1979), Austrian
botanist.

9
 10

MR. DECOSTE - a mysterious stranger. French: probably a topographic name for

someone who lived on the coast or at the side of a river or some other prominent
feature, from coste, a southern variant of côte 'coast', 'side', with the fused preposition
de 'from'.

HESTON BLUMENTHAL - Heston Marc Blumenthal OBE HonFRSC is a British

celebrity chef, TV personality and food writer. Blumenthal is regarded as a pioneer of
multi-sensory cooking, food pairing and flavour encapsulation. He came to public
attention with unusual recipes, such as bacon-and-egg ice cream and snail porridge.
Heston: 'brushwood' + tun 'farmstead', 'settlement'. Similar surnames: Leston, Helton,
Henton, Weston, Heaton, Haston, Penton, Ruston. Blumenthal is a surname of German
origin, meaning: "flower valley" in German. It can be found among people of German
and Jewish origin.

LARYNGITIS GUY - an incredibly nice guy who talks like he has laryngitis all the time.

BON APPÉTIT EDITOR’S ASSISTANT - In a constant state of panic.

(original script) MR. ZAGAT

JUDITH RUSH - a retired furniture dealer from a small town in upstate New York with
delusions of grandeur and a constant sense that the world is cheating her. Still, sort of
cute in spite of herself. Judith is a feminine given name derived from the Hebrew name
‫ י ְהּודִ ית‬or Yehudit, meaning "woman of Judea". Judith appeared in the Old Testament as
one of Esau's wives, while the deuterocanonical Book of Judith deals with a different
Judith. The name Rush is a boy's name of English origin meaning "basket weaver".
Might suggest speed, excitement, even danger.

FOX SEARCHLIGHT LADY - A bitter workaholic. Searchlight Pictures, Inc. is an

American film studio that is a division of 20th Century Studios, a subsidiary of Walt
Disney Studios, which is part of The Walt Disney Company.

(original script) DEPRESSED SECRETARY - so miserable she barely has a pulse.

Deeply resents her job.

(original script) PARAMOUNT LADY - a bitter workaholic.

STEVEN - Sam’s perfect older brother. A real straight arrow. Like Stephanie, it means
“crown”.

10
 11

JANE LASSITER - An editor at Bon Appétit. In the midst of a longstanding feud with the
chef. The name Jane is of English origin and means “God is gracious.” Some people
believe that Jane was derived from the old French name Jehanne, which in turn, is
thought to be derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan which means “Yahweh is
merciful.” Jane first became popular in the mid-16th century. The name Lassiter has a
long Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived in Leicester, in
Leicestershire. Leicester is the capital of the county and its name is derived from the
Old English element ceaster, which meant "Roman town."

(original script) GLORIA HATHAWAY - A food critic in the midst of a long-standing feud
with the chef. Gloria is the anglicized form of the Latin feminine given name gloriae
(Latin pronunciation: ['gloːria]), meaning immortal glory; glory, fame, renown, praise,
honor. English (mainly central southern England and South Wales): topographic name
for someone who lived by a path across a heath, from Middle English hathe 'heath' +
weye 'way'.

JEAN-CLAUDE’S WIFE - a big, tough French lady. Sounds a lot like Jean-Claude.

CORPORATE DOUCHE - He’s done a lot of leadership training.

(original script) SMARMY MAN - a real smooth operator. Ingratiating and wheedling in a
way that is perceived as insincere or excessive. The history of smarmy is oily.
Etymologists don't know where smarm (the verb from which it is based) came from, but
they do know that it meant "to smear" or "to make smooth or oily" before gaining the
meaning "to flatter." The adjective smarmy comes from the latter meaning.

NANCY - Bob’s wife (original script - girlfriend). Nancy as a girl's name is of Hebrew
origin meaning "grace". It was originally a nickname first used as a given name in the
18th century.

RICK FROM CARSON AVIATION - the kind of unflappable, even-keeled guy you want
to have behind the controls of an airplane. Powerful; Brave ruler. Rick as a boy's name
is pronounced RIK. It is of English origin. Short form of Richard and Frederick.

VERIZON OPERATOR

(original script) AT&T OPERATOR

SOFÍA VERGARA - Sofía Margarita Vergara Vergara is a Colombian and American

actress and model. Vergara was the highest paid actress in American television from

11
 12

2013 to 2020. Vergara rose to prominence while co-hosting two television shows for
Spanish-language television network Univision in the late 1990s. Sophia is a Greek
name meaning "wisdom." Gender: Sophia is commonly used for girls, whereas the
masculine variant Sophus is used for boys. One who tended animals, a herdsman.
Found as name of village near San Sebastian. Equivalent to surname Bergara. Derived
from Spanish "verga" plus "altura," equivalents of Basque words. Hence signifies yard
or garden located in high mountains.

(original script) MR. INOUE - a Japanese business executive. Japanese (earlier

pronounced Inoe); topographic name meaning 'above the well', found in western Japan
and the Ryukyu Islands. Some bearers were daimyo of Mikawa (now part of Aichi
prefecture); others were samurai from western Honshu and southern Kyushu.

(original script) DR. RUTH WESTHEIMER Ruth is predominantly a girl name of Hebrew
origin, meaning “friend,” “friendship,” or “compassionate friend.” It is derived from the
Hebrew word re'ut, meaning “friend.” The name is the central character in the Book of
Ruth in the Old Testament, which is one of only two books named after a woman.
German: habitational name for someone from any of the numerous places named
Westheim, for example in Baden-Württemberg, the Rhineland Palatinate, and Bavaria.

YouTube Playlist
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2eVZ45jkcXsIhrb6WwTPP_xmQ_s1eSRq

Place
A dilapidated, windowless office in the basement of a four-star, multiple-award-winning,
ridiculously trendy Upper East Side Manhattan restaurant. The ceiling seems as though
it’s about to cave in, and occasionally little pieces of insulation drift into what might be
called the reservation department, which is actually a long, skinny Formica countertop
and three folding chairs crammed into a four-foot by six-foot nook. The walls have been
painted a particularly awful shade of industrial pale blue and plastered with little scraps
of paper, some of which contain valuable information like the daily reservation counts,
others of which issue ominous sounding warnings from the powers that be. One in
particular, which seems to be extra large, reads: “Under no circumstances take a
reservation for Ned Finlay: per chef!!!!” The office is scattered with telephones, fast-food
paraphernalia, old newspapers, mounds of crumpled-up paper, staff coats and cartons
of musty restaurant memorabilia. The business manager sits at a desk upstairs; the
Chef’s office is around the corner in a separate enclave.

Time

12
 13

Early December. There are a few pathetic signs of the Christmas season lying about: a
candy cane here, a synthetic wreath there. More to the point, the phones are busier
than ever.

13
 14

Restaurant Culture

● How restaurant culture changed the way we eat

● The Hardest-To-Get Restaurant Reservations In NYC Right Now

Vocabulary/Timeline

Timeline

Alan Greenspan - Alan Greenspan is an American economist who served as the 13th
chair of the Federal Reserve from 1987 to 2006. He works as a private adviser and
provides consulting for firms through his company, Greenspan Associates LLC.

Commandeers: officially take possession or control of (something), especially for

military purposes. Early 19th century: from Afrikaans kommandeer, from Dutch
commanderen, from French commander ‘to command’.

14
 15

Bat Phone: A bat phone, in business jargon, is a private telephone number that is
handled at a higher priority than a public line.

15
 16

Dominican Republic: The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean nation that shares the
island of Hispaniola with Haiti to the west. It's known for its beaches, resorts and golfing.
Its terrain comprises rainforest, savannah and highlands, including Pico Duarte, the
Caribbean’s tallest mountain. Capital city Santo Domingo has Spanish landmarks like
the Gothic Catedral Primada de America dating back 5 centuries in its Zona Colonial
district.

NYC Dominicans their migration spurred by political upheaval in the mid-60's and by
economic hardship in later years, have become the city's second-largest Hispanic
group, numbering 332,713, with thousands more illegal and uncounted.

16
 17

Headset from aughts:

Jamie Lee Curtis: An American actress, producer, author, and activist. She is the
recipient of several accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, a British Academy
Film Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Lackey: a servant, especially a liveried footman or manservant. Early 16th century: from
French laquais, perhaps from Catalan alacay, from Arabic al-qā'id ‘the chief’.

“The Lady Is A Tramp” : "The Lady Is a Tramp" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers
and Hart musical Babes in Arms, in which it was introduced by former child star Mitzi
Green. Made more famous with recordings by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.

17
 18

Livid: furiously angry. Late Middle English (in the sense ‘of a bluish leaden color’): from
French livide or Latin lividus, from livere ‘be bluish’. The sense ‘furiously angry’ dates
from the early 20th century.

Mickey Rourke: Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. is an American actor and former boxer
who has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films.

18
 19

Menu early aughts:

19
 20

Message pad early aughts:

Paramount: Founded in 1913, Paramount Pictures traces its formation to Adolph

Zukor's Famous Players Film Company. Zukor's Famous Players merged with the Jesse
L. Lasky Company in 1916, creating the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. The studio
made its home near Sunset and Vine.

20
 21

Philip Johnson: Philip Cortelyou Johnson was an American architect best known for his
works of modern and postmodern architecture.

21
 22

Rolodex early aughts:

22
 23

Sheik: The Grand Mufti appointed by the King of Saudi Arabia, who creates fatwas
(laws/opinions) for the government. Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh has been the
Grand Mufti since 1999 to the present day.

Sheik’s right hand man: Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdulaziz Al-AsShaikh Saudi minister of
Islamic affairs, endowments, call and guidance.

23
 24

Tisch: Jewish (Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for a joiner, from German
Tisch, Yiddish tish 'table'.

Dialects

If you would like to use a dialect, here are some links to the typical ones in the show. I
am a good resource for this in rehearsal, but…if you want to toy around before we
begin, here are some resources:

● Standard English/RP/Queen’s English

● Brooklyn
● Japanese
● French
● American Southern

24