First comes love, then comes marriage, next comes baby in a baby carriage!
That playground rhyme from long ago was brought to mind after seeing The Bent’s opening-night performance of Peter Parnell’s Dada Woof Papa Hot. The characters—some gay, some not—have found love and married. The addition of a child (or two) to the mix provides the storyline.
As the play (directed by Jerome Joseph Gentes) progresses, we observe ups and downs in the lives of these people, while Parnell adds some surprises that make his characters more interesting and relatable. While we never actually see any children onstage, they are always present. We hear them crying, speaking or playing offstage.
The action takes place in New York City, in several locations. Steve Giboney’s set design was simple but practical, allowing for the movement of small set pieces and projections to change the location of scene.
Gentes assembled a first-rate cast. In the first scene, we meet Rob (LT Cousineau) and Alan (J. David) in a favorite restaurant as they wait to be joined by Jason (John Corr) and Scott (Anthony Nannini). What brings these two married couples together is they have children; the conversation is about pre-schools and possible play dates for the children.
Cousineau gives a moving performance as the parent who is the most invested in the responsibility of parenthood. David comes across as more ambivalent, and as the play moves forward, we learn more about why that’s the case, as he slowly reveals more of himself.
In the second couple, Nannini nicely parallels Cousineau’s. Corr’s nuanced performance begins lightly but evolves into deeper areas.
In the next scene, at Rob and Alan’s home, we meet their good friends Serena (Jenne Carey) and Michael (Ronald Douglass). They, too, have a child. We find out that Alan and Michael have been close friends since college—and Michael confides to Alan that he has been having an affair with a woman named Julia (Sarah Elizabeth Woolsey).
Carey shows Serena to be a loving and upbeat parent and wife. While Douglass plays the unfaithful husband role, he also presents likable qualities that could help redeem him. Woolsey’s scene at the playground is amusing to watch as she reveals that she has three children in her blended family: one her own from a previous marriage, one step-child from the former marriage of her husband, and one of their own.
Nick Wass’ lighting was well done. Damian Mercado’s sound was excellent—he expertly had the children’s sounds when and where they were needed. Sarah Elizabeth Woolsey’s costumes were timely and practical, allowing for some quick changes and defining the characters.
Gentes kept the pacing of the scenes moving but unhurried; the result was a well-crafted ensemble. The struggles depicted in Dada Woof Papa Hot of being in a relationship that becomes more complicated with the addition of a child were true—and heartfelt.
The Bent’s production of Dada Woof Papa Hot will be performed at 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday; and 2 p.m., Sunday, through Sunday, Nov. 29, at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, at 2300 E. Baristo Road, in Palm Springs. (There is no show on Sunday, Nov. 22, or Thursday, Nov. 26.) Tickets are $42. For tickets or more information, visit thebent.org.
