Michael Shannon fans often have to settle for seeing him in small doses: his brief, Oscar-nominated turn in “Revolutionary Road,” his supporting role in HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire.”
But the brilliant actor (who had a notable turn this year as the Stage Manager in “Our Town”) is on glorious display in “Mistakes Were Made,” the Craig Wright comedy that opened Sunday night.
Here he plays the wonderfully named Felix Artifex, a small-time theatrical producer whose seedy office would embarrass Max Bialystock. Most of the play’s 95-minute running time consists of his frenzied wheeling and dealing over the phone, as he tries to put together a deal.
The project? An epic drama about the French Revolution, for which Artifex is on the verge of casting a major young star. Unfortunately, the star has his own ideas — like turning the show into a one-man play.
As he negotiates with the actor, the reluctant playwright and a rapacious agent — and leaves messages for his ex-wife, who left him after an undisclosed tragedy — Artifex’s anxiety ratchets up and up. He finds relief only in philosophical conversations with his pet fish, Denise (nicely portrayed by a puppet).
The play doesn’t exactly break any new ground in its satirical look at small-time showbiz, but it’s a terrific vehicle for Shannon, who rarely gets to show off his comedic chops.
Made up to look much older and dissipated, the 36-year-old delivers a typically intense but hilarious turn, squeezing the most of such lines as Artifex’s description of himself as “the theatrical equivalent to Pussy Galore.” But he’s also moving as a man desperately seeking redemption.
Except for a brief appearance by Artifex’s clearly overworked secretary (Mierka Girten), the evening is essentially a one-man show. It couldn’t be in better hands.