Christopher Durang’s 1981 comic script is cheerfully revived by Matt Shelton at the Shelton Theater on Sutter Street in San Francisco.
Prudence and Bruce respond to personal ads only to find each other impossibly impulsive, emotionally unstable, multiply involved, sexually confused and lonely. Crazy people should seek out other crazy people for relationships, right?
Nina Anderson’s Prudence is excellent as she moves from exuberance to exasperation, stepping from fact to fact with agility, capable of compromise but finding that Bruce is not better than the chaos she already has. Should she be polite to this guy wo is the worst creep she has ever met?
Tony Ruiz’s Bruce plans his encounters carefully but is quickly derailed by Prudence's rapid-fire interview questions and yet proposes marriage on first sight. Shoud he say what he has on his mind or shoukd he say what he should say?
But both have doctors who urge them on. Melyssa Jo Kelly is hilarious as psychiatrist Wallace who has mental issues and universally advises lovers to accelerate into their difficulties. Her lascivious clown-act is a riot.
Girish Palya is a very funny clown, animating his personality with his wonderful facial expressions and physical gesture.
Narrative takes a back seat to the chaos of personality in Durang’s clever writing. It’s a love-story shot out of a cannon. Check out this fine play.
Beyond Therapy plays at the Shelton Theater until March 24th, 2012.
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