Wonder of the World

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Wonder of the World

SeaGlass Theatre at the Victory Theatre Center

Reviewed by Dany Margolies

November 04, 2009

Photo by Ed Krieger

The expression "dirty little secret" may have taken on the most yuck-inducing and yuk-inducing meaning in this David Lindsay-Abaire play.And that's odd, because the lesson the work ultimately offers is almost sacred: to strive to find meaning in life, to ponder our existence.

Having discovered her husband's penchant for a certain method of self-gratification, Cass (Elizabeth Bond) leaves the marriage so she can experience all the many items on her long-neglected to-do list. Among those items is a trip to Niagara Falls. On the way upstate, she meets Lois (Kimberly Van Luin), suicidal over the state of her own marriage and ready to plunge over the falls in a large barrel, which in conformance with standard comedic laws accompanies her on the trip.

Cass' husband, Kip (Ian Vogt), however, will not give up on the marriage. He hires an inept pair of detectives (Jill Holden and Paul Stroili) to tail Cass. She, onboard a tour boat, decides to fall for the captain (David Ghilardi). All along her journey, Cass wonders about the many wonders that fill the world. High jinks ensue. And not that Lindsay-Abaire's script doesn't provide its share of one-liners and a last few minutes that encourage the audience to seize our days. But the second-act climax, in which the characters are led in an impromptu version of "The Newlywed Game"—not particularly funny in its original televised form—is forced and uncomfortable here.

Even the character who emcees the game, a therapist who for spurious reasons must show up in a complete clown suit, can't rescue the plummeting narrative. The actor who plays her, however, is the luckiest among the lot. Jen Ray may not quite succeed as the circus version of Bob Eubanks, but she also plays a tourist, an acrophobic helicopter pilot, and three diverse waitresses in a single scene—a mini tour de force turn that highlights Ray's timing and character skills.

Neil Wilson directs compactly and agilely, but he allows too many acting styles, so at times we're not sure whether we're watching farce or drama. Better clues are provided by Jennifer May Nickle's perky costumes and Cricket S. Myers' witty sound design.

Presented by SeaGlass Theatre at the Victory Theatre Center, 3326 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank. Sept. 26–Nov. 15. Fri.–Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m. www.seaglasstheatre.org.