Victor L. Shopov as Alex More in “Buyer and Cellar.” Photo credit: Hub Theatre Company.

Presented by Hub Theatre Company of Boston
Written by Jonathan Tolins
Directed by Daniel Bourque

July 18 – Aug. 1, 2026
Club Cafe

Critique by Diana Lu

BOSTON — Buyer and Cellar is a one-person one-act written by celebrated playwright and screenwriter Jonathan Tolins. The comedy begins with LA actor Alex More’s monologue about getting fired from his mascot position at Disneyland. Subsequently, he is propositioned by his former boss, who then recommends More for a unique, once-in-a-lifetime position as the sole customer service employee in Barbara Streisand’s basement mall under her mansion. Inspired by descriptions of Streisand’s home and basement mall in her memoirs, the play explores themes of consumerism, identity, isolation, celebrity and other fantasy, and power through More’s misadventures while trapped in the basement.

Presented by Hub Theatre in the intimate cabaret theater of Club Cafe, Victor L. Shopov carried the show with a spectacular performance that maintained consistent energy and humor throughout the 90-minute production. Shopov transitioned seamlessly between 6 or so characters, two of whom were Barbara Streisand. Shopov is one of those rare professionals who can pull off slapstick as well as vulnerable interpersonal exchanges, a range of characters,  and emotional depth. This show required the whole gamut, and it was a delight to watch his performance.

Daniel Bourque’s directorial decisions were also on point. The show used the whole theater space, not just the stage. One character appeared only at the bar, and projections were thrown against two walls behind the first row of tables. I also greatly appreciated Lauren Elias’s announcements at the beginning, which then transitioned into a character that started the show strong. All of this gave the performance more room to breathe and created an intimate, immersive experience, as if the audience were more in on the jokes. 

My only issue with direction is that often, especially at the beginning, Shopov’s transitions between characters were not always entirely clear. All of Shopov’s characters speak directly to the audience and not at each other. There isn’t really a physical demarcation between one character and another unless their physicalities are wildly different. While this wasn’t confusing enough to make the story illegible in a substantial way, using Eddy Izzard-style physical transitions between characters would have made the beginning cleaner.

Justin Lahue’s set and projection design made the show for me. The set evoked exactly the combination of standard American mall ennui and LA gothic horror that now lives in my head rent-free. The show really would not have been the same show without the projections’ visual storytelling. I felt that the images and iconography in the projections were the only parts of the show that hit the perfect tone of comic-grotesque that the play was going for. I thought the projections conveyed the ethos of the premise more so than even the script, which seemed to back off right when things got meaty and dark.

Overall, Hub Theater’s Buyer and Cellar was a delightful experience. It started a bit slow and didn’t deliver in disturbing depth, but it more than made up for it in charisma, charm, and grace.

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