Photo Source: Nancy Lam
The chat-room origin of the date from hell dramatized here raises expectations that the play might have something to say about the hazards of cyberspace cruising. Yet it becomes obvious that the quirks exhibited by this couple could surface between any two people, regardless of where they made their connection. The play considers the challenges of opening up one's heart to a less-than-perfect suitor. How much emotional baggage is too much for us to accept in a prospective mate? It's not spoiling surprises to reveal two quickly established points: Elliot (Silver) exhibits a possessiveness bordering on stalking, and Susan (Rubley) is more than a tad neurotic—she carries a knife in her purse, as she is into "cutting."
The action takes place in a Manhattan bar, where the couple is having this first date. Layers of surrealism are added, the primary one linked to Susan's profession as a choreographer. Stylized dance moves (choreographed by Laura Harrison) sometimes interrupt the dialogue and action, apparently meant to illuminate Susan's emotional transitions. More often than not, this comes off as a self-conscious gimmick rather than a potent revelation of theme or character.
It's difficult to care about these kooks, who come across as more self-centered and needy than compassionate or pitiable. Perhaps that's the playwright's key point, but the repetitive dialogue seldom is incisive enough to offer a trenchant view of the mating game. Nonetheless, Silver and Rubley elicit a fair share of laughs from the tense exchanges, supported by Matthews' apt interpretation of the piece as a warped romantic comedy—"Sex and the City" with psychotic undercurrents.
Presented by Sixth Avenue at the El Centro Theatre, Chaplin Stage, 804 N. El Centro Ave., Hollywood. Jan. 6-28. Thu.-Sat., 8 p.m. www.6avenue.org.
