Suicide, Incorporated

Sometimes it's fun to go into a show with no idea what to expect. I did that today, entering a matinee performance of Andrew Hinderaker's Suicide, Incorporated, the newest offering from Roundabout Underground, knowing little more than the blurb that was published on the Roundabout Theatre Company website.

Founded in 2007, Roundabout Underground is a new-play initiative that gives full-scale productions to pieces by budding playwrights in the 65-seat Black Box Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre. I loved their inaugural production, Stephen Karam's Speech and Debate, and was eager to get back and see what else they have cooking.

Overall, I enjoyed Suicide, Incorporated. It wasn't as funny or provocative as Speech and Debate, but it was an entertaining and interesting piece of theatre. The story follows an unorthodox writing service that specializes in helping customers craft the perfect suicide note, and what transpires when Jason (Gabriel Ebert), a new hire, tries to prevent his client Norm (James McMenamin) from following through on his actions. The play raises some worthwhile questions about the reasons people commit suicide, and what happens to the people they love and leave behind.

The two standouts in the cast were Ebert and McMenamin, though perhaps this was because they had the two most fleshed-out roles in the piece. In fact, the only other role that seemingly had any depth was that of Tommy, played by Jake O'Connor, and the only chance he had to truly dig into the role was when he was opposite Ebert.

I enjoyed the sleek design by Daniel Zimmerman (set) and Zach Blane (lighting), and Jonathan Berry's direction kept the 85-minute production moving at a swift pace.

I wouldn't feel comfortable calling Hinderaker's play an outstanding entry into the American theatrical cannon, but I still am glad I was able to catch its New York premiere. And considering its short length and provocative topics, it is sure to have a long and prosperous future life in colleges and small regional theatres across the country.