Hospitality Suite

by Roger Rueff

In a small hotel room high above Wichita, Kansa, three men who work for an industrial-lubricants firm prepare to host a convention hospitality suite. PHIL is an aging account manager who has begun to question his purpose in life and work. LARRY is his longtime partner, a savvy and quick-witted salesman with a penchant for rough language and absolute contempt for dishonesty. BOB is a recent hire from te company research center, on hand to represent technical expertise--an earnest young man defined, in part, by devotion to his religion. As the evening unfolds, unspoken differences between them become lines in the sand. And when a case ofo mistaken identity puts the entire affair in the hands of the devout, young researcher, a philosophical batter ensures that lays bare their hearts and leaves no soul unscathed. Basis for the 1999 movie, The Big Kahuna, starring Danny DeVito and Kevin Spacey.

Genres: Plays

72 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[J. Wootton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An almost word-for-word film adaptation of this play was released in 1999 under the title The Big Kahuna, starring Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, and Peter Facinelli. If you go in expecting to see a 3-man, one-set play filmed, you won't be disappointed: the performances are every bit as stellar as the script, and Spacey's actual crimes are the only downside.

Rueff's script deals cunningly with parallels between American religion and American business, the ethics of being yourself and expressing your own values "at work" or while on the company's dime, what developing character really entails, and the nature of love.

People who entered the workplace in the 2010s or later may not recognize the workplace atmosphere Rueff portrays. That's okay: this play may just help them sympathize with the formative career experiences of their parents and older coworkers.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always loved the movie The Big Kahuna. The only things that kept it from being perfect were the title and the fact that they played that awful commencement address set to music song over the credits. In retrospect it will be ruined for some because it stars Kevin Spacey (along with Danny DeVito and Peter Facinelli).

That being said it is a perfect exploration of the parallels between business and Christianity as practiced in America.

This play, on which the movie was very faithfully based is also excellent. Three guys in a room talking and it's absolutely compelling. I don't care for the way they discuss their wives, but it seems true to their characters. The confrontation between the three men hinges on their purpose for being at a convention and their differing motivations in conversation and business.

Recommended reading, but if you don't feel like tracking it down The Big Kahuna is worth watching. If Kevin Spacey puts you off the film, definitely worth reading the play.

[Lyf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just can't get enough of this play. The interaction between the characters is heartwarming and heartbreaking.