Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

Retirement - some joyfully look forward to it; some "can't wait" for it, counting down the days; some are intimidated by its promise of freedom; and some don't or can't even consider it.

In Ken Jaworowski's "Never Missed a Day" amiable Duce (steadily engaging Michael Shelle), with a gold watch upon his wrist and 34 years at the company under his belt, is about to be honored at a retirement party arranged by his coworkers. The setting is the back room of a downtown bar, designed with meticulous reality (from little bowls of cocktail peanuts on each table to red plastic cups to a store bought "Happy Retirement" sign) and looming irony (with two tables loaded with booze bottles and a real-time clock hanging on a wall). It's a little after 5:30 and Duce is giving bits of advice to the only other person present, twenty-something Danny (played skillfully as uncorruptedly prudent by Shade Vaughn). Duce seems resigned to being both the reason for the party and not having to wake up to an alarm clock on Monday morning. Later as the hands of the clock reach eight, the same two characters will be the only ones remaining on stage in what will become a brilliantly directed (Thomas Coté) moment.

In the interim three additional male employees will arrive-shades of Mamet's "Glengarry Glenn Ross"-and there will be conversations about the manipulative boss who is referred to only as "The Bowtie," job related anecdotes, and-of course-interaction to reveal the men's diverse personas, cracks in their veneers and opportunities for personal confessions. Been there; done that“ Yes and No.

Mr. Jaworowski does throw in a fair share of humor and several plot elements to create suspense, examples of which are who is going to have the guts to confront "The Bowtie" upon his arrival and who is scheduled to get the ax. But, retrospectively, their outcomes seem rather predictable, if not misleading. The true saving grace of this theatrical experience is the top-notch production. The direction is seamless; the business men's costumes (Joanie Schumacher) suit each character to a tee; and the actors' performances are on the money. In addition to Mr. Shelle and Mr. Vaugh, Brian Homer as smooth-talking and seemingly corporate-wise Nick becomes captain of the retirement party ship, Jed Dickson as lanky, reserved, demure Michael teases the audience with who he really might be, and Bill Tatum as ostensibly venerable and suave Whitey in his double-breasted blazer uses subtle ways to reveal his duplicity.

Although the dialogue toward the end of the play seems to me to be overly didactic, making statements about missed opportunities in life and the hazard of the individual in the heartless corporate world, the final montage before the lights come down on retiring Duce and "beginning" Danny remains etched in my psyche next to Mary Tyrone's words form Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey into Night": "The past is the present, isn't it? It is the future, too. We all try to lie out of that, but life won't let us."