may 7.200 4 »
THEATER
...............V...............
ark Setlock can dish it out with the
best of ’em.
The gay New York City actor is in
town through the end of May to star
in Fully Committed, a one-man show about an
upscale Manhattan restaurant that’s been sell
ing out Winningstad Theatre like mad. (The
title refers to a haughty term some restaurants
use when they’re fully booked.)
Setlock first tackled the multifaceted role
when the show opened five years ago in New
York, and he went on to win the Outer Critics
Circle Award for best solo performance in
2000. He portrays more than two dozen char
acters, including a conceited chef, disgruntled
customers and a few bitchy queens. In addition
to acting, he’s directing Portland Center Stage’s
run of the production.
With his shaved head and well-manicured
goatee, Setlock has the look of a poet on open
mike night. For a powerhouse performer who
ends shows by shaking his fcxxity to Prince songs,
he is surprisingly soft-spoken and shy in person.
Fully Committed is a slight but highly en
gaging comedy, and its success stems from Set-
lock’s uncanny ability to mimic the good, the
bad and the ugly faces of human nature.
As a mimic, the Ohio native says he walks a
fine line between imitation and mockery. ‘Tve
crossed the line of cruelty many times,” he con
fesses. His targets have ranged from everyday folks
like teachers and Gap employees to cultural icons
like Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Jimmy Stewart.
Setlock, 35, helped playwright Becky Mode
develop the cast of characters for Fully Commit
ted. He drew on his experiences at Bouley, a
chic Manhattan restaurant where he worked in
the early ’90s.
Filled with personality switches, the play at
A commitment worth making
Mark Setlock’s two dozen characters
make hundreds of happy Portlanders
«
by
S t e p h e n B l a ir
thing who books
reservations in the
dingy restaurant
basement, is the
main character. All
he wants to do is
figure out a way to
make it home for
Christmas in the
Midwest, but
armies of caustic
customers and
impatient supervi
sors drown him in
complaints and
demands.
Characters
change as fast as
machine-gun fire.
Gay New York actor Mark Setlock exhibits multiple personality disorder “Sometimes I won
during Portland Center Stage’s Fully Committed
der how he keeps
the right person
times resembles a day in the life of Sybil. It clocks
coming at the right moment— and when he
in at a mere 70 minutes, but viewers feel like
finds time to take a breath,” Coleman adds.
they’re working overtime to keep up with Setlock.
Portland Center Stage artistic director
etlock’s New York theater credits include
Chris Coleman notes Setlock’s performance is
Rent, in which he was the understudy for
seamless. “You never see how he makes the
Angel, the drag queen. “I’m not a pretty
transition between the characters. They seem
woman,” he smiles. Earlier this year, he
to sort of pop out of him of their own accord.”
appeared in the play Roulette with former Satur
And all are very distinct. Sam, a 20-some-
day Night Live cast member Ana Gasteyer.
S
Tickets are going fast for Portland Center Stage's
F ully C om m itted through May 30 at Whmmgstad
Theatre, l III S.W. Broadway. Get them now for
$I6-$5I from 503-274-6588'.
STEPHEN B la ir is a Portland free-lance writer.
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Setlock says his success onstage hinges on the
response. “It’s easy when the audience is enthusias
tic.” He prefers Portland crowds to the fidgety the
atergoers he has experienced on the East Coast.
From the audiences to the natural scenery,
Setlock is enjoying his first visit to the Pacific
Northwest. Between rehearsals and performances
he has found time to hike in the Columbia
Gorge and to take a field trip to Cannon Beach.
But Portland’s gay night life, he says, leaves a
lot to be desired. "I’m staying near Vaseline
Alley— 1 know all the lingo. But all the bars seem
like a slice of Queer as Folk. I prefer low-key bars,
like the ones in the East Village in New York.”
Setlock takes a minute to muse on his likes
and dislikes of other queer actors. “1 have a lot
of respect for anyone who’s fearless about their
sexuality,” he says. “I have a lot of respect for
Rupert Everett. Rosie’s obnoxious, but I’m glad
that she finally came out. And 1 love Ellen.”
Conversely, he calls Kevin Spacey the
“anti-role model” for the queer community.
“It’s well-known in theater circles that he’s gay,
and yet he denies it."
After the Portland run, Setlock plans to
spend the summer doing Shakespeare in
Williamstown, Mass. He is also developing a
project about fetishes based on Dan Savage’s
“Savage Love” column.
“I’ve never been a very driven or ambitious
person,” he says simply. “I just like to act and
do things that are good." J H
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