Fulfillment Center NYC Reviews and Tickets

“An intense ninety minutes, during which the emotional alienation of the characters manages nonetheless to create an absorbing connection with the audience. Each performer embodies their character with such great empathy and skill that by the end we are left with a disquieting sense of dread, as if we soon might learn that something horrible has happened to them."
Read more

“A skillful balance of depth and humor…Moreno nails his portrayal of Alex…Booth’s bossy Madeleine is the perfect counter in their relationship, and Weller wows as John…But it’s O’Connell who really steals the show. O’Connell hits all of her serious and comedic notes with equal power…Though the play doesn’t neatly tie up every loose end it creates, we still walk away having thoroughly enjoyed the journey -- making ‘Fulfillment Center’ a fulfilling experience.”
Read more

"There is something incredibly uncomfortable going on, and I mean that as the greatest of compliments...It’s tragic and surprisingly engrossing as we watch these four fine actors strive but rarely meet...Unique, funny, and disturbing. Much is left unsaid or unexplained, but the need and the reactive pushback is clear...My guess is that each audience member will find connection with one of these four characters on some deep and emotional plane."
Read more

“If you’re seeking an exploration of the downtrodden in today’s economy, you will be severely disappointed…While Koogler gives his well-drawn characters some development, and even a bit of closure, not all that much actually happens. Conversely, if all you need is to spend time with a company of accomplished actors bringing their A-game to an admittedly slight script, you’re in luck. Any evening spent watching the brilliant O’Connell in action is the rare opportunity to view a master class.”
Read more

“For the first 30 minutes or so, I thought it was heading confidently to an interesting destination. Unfortunately, as it progressed, the playwright seemed to lose control of his material and the play ended up at a dead end...The writing weakens, the play meanders and it finally grinds to a halt…It’s always a pleasure to see Deirdre O’Connell...With more work, the play might have amounted to something better. As is, it’s a missed opportunity.”
Read more

"The emotional lives of all four seem as blighted and empty as the nowhere town of the setting. But Koogler and director Daniel Aukin inject this sad quartet with a desert-dry humor...The dialogue and staging pop and fizz like freshly opened summer sodas...Though it runs less than 90 minutes, 'Fulfillment Center' is stuffed with meaty moments and is a filling offering."
Read more

"The play...falls flat, is empty, and the characters, all but Suzan, were UN-fulfilled and UN-fulfilling in their development and arc. Suzan was the most deeply fleshed out character and, as played by Ms. O'Connell, the most juicy and emotionally satisfying of the lot...Overall, this 80 minute-play needs a bit more work to have any sort of impact. The characters are ill-defined and by the time you get to the end, much like Alex, you realize the failure that just unfolded in front of you."
Read more

"In its quietly distraught manner, 'Fulfillment Center' makes a true portrait of today’s Americans...That you feel a helpless sense of pitying affection for them all comes partly from Koogler’s terse, astutely turned dialogue...An equal amount of your feeling is roused by Aukin’s four actors...Each of these performances alone would be an impressive achievement; the four of them together give this low-down, plainspoken play the transcendent effect of a great string quartet."
Read more