Lobby Hero [Paperback]

Kenneth Lonergan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 14, 2002

With his acclaimed plays This Is Our Youth and The Waverly Gallery and his Oscar-nominated film You Can Count on Me, Kenneth Lonergan has been called "the new golden boy of stage and screen" by The New York Times. Now he returns to the stage with Lobby Hero, which has been praised as "smart, funny ... [a] drama that derives its strength from Lonergan's keen ear for dialogue. One powerful tale" (New York Daily News). Lobby Hero, nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play, tells the story of Jeff, a luckless young security guard trying to get his life together after being thrown out of the navy. But the lobby proves to be no sanctuary from the world, as Jeff is drawn into a local murder investigation involving his supervisor, a tightly wound young man called upon to bear witness against his troubled brother, and an overzealous rookie policewoman who is in over her head with her unscrupulous hero-cop partner. As Ben Brantley of The New York Times wrote, "motives come in every shade but black and white" in Lobby Hero, creating a "combustible brew of impulses."

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press; 1 edition (May 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802138551
• ISBN-13: 978-0802138552
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #531,393 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A So-So Work, August 1, 2007

By 

J "iamJandyouarenot" (Wash DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lobby Hero - Acting Edition (Paperback)

Lobby Hero is a ho-hum piece of work. While it contains its moments, there is certainly nothing here to knock someone off of their feet. As is per usual, Lonergan writes his dialogue well, but the characters are left a little lacking in motivations and overall arc. The lead character of Jeff is whom the author has spent the most time on, but the other characters fall by the wayside.

What it all boils down to is that this seems to be Lonergan keeping in practice, not trying for greatness.

5.0 out of 5 stars A great work!, October 24, 2011

By 

Blair A. Russell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lobby Hero - Acting Edition (Paperback)

This play is always one of those great plays that you forget about until you happen to come across it again. It is very simple, entertaining, and meaningful. The story is not new, the characters either, but Lonergan has a way of presenting themes through this play that are missed when presented in other media or plays. Lobby Hero is perfect material for small producing companies.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great 4 Character Drama, May 3, 2005

By 

Kevin D (Albany, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lobby Hero (Paperback)

The play reads well, and I can imagine it playing even better live. The main character, Jeff, is reminiscent of other characters that Lonergan has written for Mark Ruffalo. Read it, get the rights, do it.