Theatre Review—

An Excellent Season Continues In New Haven’s Theatre District

By June April

NEW HAVEN — The current Yale Summer Cabaret season has been among the most enjoyable this reviewer has ever had the pleasure of experiencing. With the final production — Charles Ludlam’s The Mystery of Irma Vep — it would be a good time to re-visit the theatre, or make at least one run into New Haven before this season becomes history. (Performances continue through August 19; call 203/432-1567 for details including tickets.)

Irma Vep’s predecessor, Beyond Therapy by Christopher Durang, was delightful and deliciously humorous. As directed by Kelly Flynn, there was a timely sharpness to the repartee and the actors were all appropriately suited to their roles.

Glynis Rigsby played a psychologist, Mrs Wallace, who is physically reminiscent of the late comedienne Gilda Radner. Clutching her stuffed toy Snoopy in times of stress, the psychologist was one of the funniest in the play, not to mention the Durang pantheon of creations. Mrs Wallace is certainly beyond therapeutic standards.

Elegant as Prudence, the rather confused seeker of male companionship, Jennifer Brooke Riker imparts a quirky and somewhat memorable portrayal of her character.

Prudence’s therapist, Dr Framingham, has a more than professional interest in this particular patient. He repeatedly hits on Prudence, offering himself as a love interest, which of course adds to her already rather profuse state of confusion. As Framingham, the actor Mark Mattek offers a great balance of traversing many of Freud’s teachings.

As Prudence’s potential love interest, Bruce, Derek Lucci excels in his timing. The interplay with Bruce’s homosexual friend Bob was funny, sensitive and occasionally verging on slapstick. Leslie Elliard does not overlay in the role of Bob, which is another amusing and essential part of the play.

The final character of Beyond Therapy is a waiter, played for YSC by Timothy Kerber. In several of the restaurant scenes the waiter never even appears. His absence becomes part of the humor of the play.

With the limited space available in the Yale theatre, scenic designer Stuart Polasky and crew nevertheless did a top-notch job. Quick responses to scene changes through lighting aided the flow of the play as well as offering a sense of locale change.

Durang is one of Yale’s brightest and most talented playwrights. His plays are timely, funny and meaningful. His is that rare talent, able to turn traumatic life passages into satirical journeys.