Theater Review: Other People's Money

SARASOTA –Jerry Sterner’s 1989 masterpiece, Other People’s Money, is that too rare gem of theater that manages both depth and accessibility. It recently opened at the Florida Studio Theater.

Sterner was a real estate executive who stepped down as president of a New York City rental empire at the peak of his career to pursue his first love as a playwright. Set amid the rash of hostile takeovers of that decade, Sterner successfully mines comedy from a world he knew well.

Lawrence Garfinkle–aka Larry the Liquidator–is a corporate raider in the mold of Carl Icahn or even Gordon Gekko. In fact, one might think of Other People’s Money as comedy’s answer to Wall Street on the subject and Garfinkle is a character as memorable as Gekko, to say the least. For FST’s production, Sam Mossler gives a performance I found even more endearing than Danny Devito in the hit 1991 film adaptation.

Garfinkle wants to buy up and sell off New England Wire and Cable, an historic company feeling the pressure from the first wave of Asian industrial competition. Standing in his way is its CEO, Andrew "Jorgy" Jorgenson (Colin Lane), a proud, old-school industrialist who isn’t about to see his life’s work broken up for parts like a car at a chop shop.

Presented with no option he finds acceptable, Jorgy seems willing to go down swinging, even if it means taking a bath financially. Bill Coles (a fabulous performance by Joe Ditmyer) is the company’s president, however, and he doesn’t want to be left out in the cold if the reigns he was promised via Jorge’s pending retirement aren’t there.

With Bill urging Jorgy to take the lesser of the evils and his girlfriend/secretary Bea (played warmly by Perri Gaffney) backing his desire to be loyal, as Garfinkle takes aim, a knock-down drag-out fight to the finish ensues with Bea’s big-city lawyer of a daughter Kate (Nehassaiu deGannes) coming on board to represent the company.

FST’s Other People’s Money is what all summer theater in Florida should aspire to be: an accessible, entertaining work that makes you think just a little, while making you laugh quite a lot. It’s perfect for the brutally-hot Sarasota summer and would make for an excellent selection for those new to the theater. It runs through August 19. Visit the FST website for ticket information.