Mark Roberts’ Enter at Forest Lawn is a play that examines the darkest confines of human nature through the prism of the entertainment industry. Set inside the cavernous office of megalomaniac television producer Jack Story (Mark Roberts), the show centers on his attempts to control the damage unleashed by the self-destructive behavior of his most profitable star. As he screams at the executives talking from him on the other side of his headset, he is visited by several characters through which Roberts uncovers the layers of his damaged protagonist.

Hollywood is usually an easy route to take when it comes to representing the loss of one’s soul, but Roberts’ claustrophobic play succeeds because it takes the satire and twists it until it becomes a true freak show orchestra with Story as its machiavellian conductor. There is not a single moment of subtlety in the show, and for that, its entertainment value increases, sometimes resembling the very shows we can imagine Story produces. Like a Medieval artist, Roberts exposes his characters’ flaws through physical deformities, a hunched war veteran (played with slimy gusto by Matthew Pilieci) arrives at Story’s office with a terrible pitch that reveals more about his mental damage than his creative output. While Story’s meek assistant (a disturbingly heartbreaking Sarah Lemp) shows off her weak character through mannerisms that suggest she never stops sweating.

We also meet the sexy, conniving Marla (a deliciously wicked Anna Stromberg) who slithers across the stage in a tight black dress, making us understand she looks better than the rest because she can afford it. During one of the show’s funniest moments, Story and Marla throw insults at each other as they engage in reluctant intercourse, efficiently showing how these people have turned human relations into vulgar business transactions.

The set design consisting of a single desk and windows that suggest the office is situated at the top of a penthouse in hell, effectively communicates the prison Story inhabits, and yet, despite his ruthlessness and soullessness, he is played so brilliantly by Roberts that there are moments when we contemplate the idea of showing him sympathy. Roberts’ strident line deliveries and his hyperactive gestures aren’t enough to conceal the pain in Story’s eyes, this is a character who has distanced himself so much from remembering his own humanity, that the one thing we can’t help but do when we leave the theater is try to connect with ours.

Enter at Forest Lawn is part of The Gyre, a two play repertory exploring man’s vicious cycles. Performances take place from June 26 – August 9 at Walkerspace (46 Walker St.) in NYC. For more info you can visit https://www.TheAmoralists.com