Pintello Comedy Theater
’s ‘Office Hours’ keeps the audience laughing
The doors are open for business at the Pintello Comedy Theater with its latest offering “Office Hours.”
Written by Norm Foster, who is known as Canada’s answer to Neil Simon, this play features five actors playing 17 characters in six scenes related to the office workday.
The result is a hilarious sequence of events that sends the plot on unique twists and gives the actors a workout.
This is the eighth play for the now two-year-old Pintello Comedy Theater, but it offers a different comedy style than previous ones.
“We have never done anything where we had people change costumes quickly and change character completely including voices, accents, and mannerisms,” said company co-founder and actor Rod Pintello. “The play is written so tightly that it ties the scenes and characters together throughout. The scenes are separate yet connected.”
John Brewer, Sandi Lewandowski, Rod Pintello, Donna Tom and Simon Pintello make up the cast and bring decades of community theater experience to the production.
They demonstrate their acting versatility and comedic timing as they play the various characters. For example, Brewer quickly changes his costume, accent and physique from a sleazy, conniving movie agent to a soft-spoken, 200-pound horse jockey. Tom switches from a skeptical movie producer in one scene to a domineering mother in another.
Walking into the Pintello Comedy Theater is like walking into someone’s living room – Rod and Marion Pintello’s living room to be specific. Just about every other person involved in “Office Hours” has the last name Pintello and those who don’t are treated like family. This makes for a welcoming experience for both audience members and actors alike.
But don’t be fooled by the homey atmosphere.
A small stage almost three-quarters in the round, limited lighting, low ceilings and close audiences could give any director nightmares.
But co-founder Marion Pintello has found her niche directing in this challenging environment. She succeeds in positioning actors so that they are always visible to the audience and draws every joke out of Foster’s script.
The Pintellos are trying to offer South County audiences sophisticated jokes and quick-witted humor in an intimate, nightclub-like setting. The use a combination of plays, setting and actors who want to try comedy.
‘This is a small setting in a small town,” Brewer said. “We get 50 people in here, not only is the place packed and resounding with laughter, but we have made a good portion of the town happy because they don’t have this anywhere nearby.”
And the Pintellos are satisfied too.
“If I had everything I ever wanted, I would still have this place,” Rod Pintello said.
