If you’re in need of some laughs, I recommend heading to the Palm Springs Cultural Center to see Desert Ensemble Theatre’s production of Beyond Therapy. Laughter, they promise, is guaranteed—and while it usually takes an audience a while to warm up to a production, the laughs started immediately.
Directed by Jerome Elliott Moskowitz, this Christopher Durang comedy premiered on Broadway in 1982, and is DET’s final play of the season. Beyond Therapy is set in the ’80s, and this clever play actually captures the wacko feeling of that time. Part of what makes the show funny is Durang’s writing, but the crisp direction and movement gave the play the needed feeling of urgency that drives the characters.
The show opens with henna-haired Prudence, played by J. Clare Merritt, arriving at a restaurant to meet a blind date; she’s answering a personals ad that Bruce (Isaac Gaeta-Tollette) put in the local newspaper. (Remember personals ads?) The date gets off to a very rocky start—and the restaurant itself is no help, since it appears to be a place with no waiters.
In the next scene, Prudence attempts to report to her psychiatrist, Dr. Stuart, smoothly but gustily played by Raul Valenzuela. It quickly becomes apparent that the shrink is far more out there than the patient could ever be, and that his relationship with this client is … questionable, to say the least.
Next, we see Bruce with his own psychiatrist, Charlotte (Melanie Blue). His hopes of discussing that ill-fated meeting with Prudence are overshadowed by Charlotte’s strangeness—she has a condition which causes her to use a wrong word, then grope aloud for the correct one, going through a series of bizarre substitutions, none of which remotely fit. She uses a stuffed Snoopy doll—with her doing the barking—in the hopes of enhancing communications in her therapy. It is beyond weird, but very amusing. Charlotte seems unaware of her odd her behavior, and happily works away despite a blood-sugar problem, adding to her unusual and forgetful approach.
A few scenes later, we meet Bob, thoughtfully underplayed by Anthony Nannini. We have heard about Bob already, because Bruce has revealed that he is living with Bob, and that he is bisexual. Bruce seems to very much want to marry a woman and have children … but not let go of Bob. Uhhh …
During the second act (there is an intermission), we finally meet the cast’s sixth member, David Flores, playing Andrew, the waiter. (Yes, the restaurant finally coughs up a server.) He manages to get involved with the group because he is also in therapy, and he takes part in the performance’s resolution.
I have to compliment the lovely pacing of this play. Despite the playwright’s hefty contribution, this work might not be funny without crisp direction and excellent pacing. The actors never stepped on a laugh—which is tough for any entertainer, but the show is beautifully directed by Moskowitz, himself an experienced performer. The way the tensions gradually escalate through scenes is most admirable. A couple of the stage moves might be questionable, but they resolved all right.
As a famous thespian on his deathbed once snapped: “Dying is easy; comedy is hard!” This is indeed a tricky play, yet the actors navigate the complexities beautifully.
J. Clare Merritt, as Prudence, had the most onstage time, and she rose to meet the challenge fearlessly. As Bruce, Isaac Gaeta-Tollette performed his part with clarity, especially when having to burst into tears all the time. As the two crackpot analysts, Melanie Blue and Raul Valenzuela gave the play much of its delightful humor with their wackiness and self-involved importance. Anthony Nannini, as Bob, gave one of the most subtle and polished performances I’ve seen in a long time—outstanding work. David Flores—who is still in high school—allowed Andrew to offer an interesting contrast with his shyness and reticence.
Stage manager Sierra Barrick deserves credit for a smooth production, as does Thomas L. Valach for his lovely set design, an abstract scenario on several height levels which makes the transitions between locations go easily.
DET’s production of Beyond Therapy is enjoyable and delightful, providing a couple of hours in which you are so caught up in the lives of others that you don’t have time to think about yourself … for a change.
Desert Ensemble Theatre’s production Beyond Therapy will be performed at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, through Sunday, April 27, at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, in Palm Springs. Tickets are $40. For tickets or more information, call 760-565-2476, or visit www.desertensembletheatre.org.
