Mark Ulrich plays a well-dressed man contemplating ajump from the ledge. He looks both relaxed and vulnerable, though anyintentions of allowing gravity to take him to the sidewalk below are lost in aseries of strange conversations with people on the seventh floor. (Then again,those who work at crisis lines can attest to the fact that there is no “normal”conversation with someone a few inches from certain death.) Panych brilliantlyweaves the man’s precarious position into a tapestry of comedic dialogues. Theresidents of the seventh floor seem too wrapped up in their own issues toacknowledge the man’s situation. Whether they’re lost in one of the manydifferent lies they’re trying to live, losing themselves in aesthetic detailsor simply playing god, they remain too distracted to really notice each other.
The series of conversations taking place couldbecome tedious if not for the efforts of a brilliant cast under the directionof David Cecsarini. Tami Workentin, Doug Jarecki, Debra Babich and Robert W.C.Kennedy move in and out of 12 different roles (three each) with more thanenough flair and precision to make 7Stories exceedingly fun from beginning to end.
Next Act’s production of 7 Stories runs through Dec. 13 at the Off-Broadway Theatre.
