Stage Directions
March 1, 2009
In Oscar Wilde’s witty The Importance of Being Earnest, Bunbury is an
imaginary rural invalid created by Algernon to give him an excuse for
leaving London whenever he chooses. Playwright Tom Jacobson has taken
Bunbury and other offstage characters and given them their own
play—called, naturally enough, Bunbury. Besides the title character,
Jacobson introduces Rosaline, Romeo's unseen first love; Allen, the
young husband of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire; and Sonny
Jim, the imaginary son of George and Martha in Albee's Who's Afraid of
Virginia Woolf? While the playwright has fun parroting their creators'
styles, he also layers his comedy with hints of spirituality and
idealism that echo his play’s subtitle, “A Serious Play for Trivial
People.” While some may consider it a trivial play for serious people,
Bunbury is an expert blend of farce, parody and philosophy. The play
may be performed by as few as five males and three females, with all
parts (13 males, 11 females) distributed among them. [Broadway Play
Publishing, www.broadwayplaypubl.com]
Jewtopia, by Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson, tells the story of two
30-year-old single men, Chris O’Connell and Adam Lipschitz. Chris, a
gentile, wants to marry a Jewish girl so he’ll never have to make
another decision. Adam Lipschitz, a Jew, wants to marry a Jewish girl
to please his family, but can’t get a date to save his life. After
meeting at a Jewish singles mixer, Adam and Chris form a secret pact.
Chris promises that he will help Adam find the girl of his dreams (and
show him to “Jewtopia”) if Adam will help Chris shed his goy-ness and
bring him, undercover, into the Jewish world. A lessthan- promising
premise, perhaps, but when Jewtopia hits the mark—which is
frequently—it’s very funny, indeed. Two males. [Samuel French,
www.samuelfrench.com]
Anne Garcia-Romero’s Earthquake Chica is set in
the office of a Los Angeles law firm, where Esmeralda, the office
secretary, and Sam, an accountant, struggle through the mundane
activities of their daily lives. Esmeralda is an outspoken Latina, out
of touch with her own culture and looking to do something more with her
life. Sam is very much in tune with his Latin roots, particularly its
prose and poetry, but inept when it comes to social situations. The two
hit it off at a Christmas party and soon, new worlds begin to open up
for both of them. Garcia-Romero has a strong ear for dialogue, as her
two characters thrust and parry, shifting from offense to defense and
back again, hoping to find an advantage, as both characters learn an
unforgettable lesson in how to love. One female, one male. [Broadway
Play Publishing]
Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s 18th century classic, The Rivals, has been
published in a newly edited version for modern audiences by
William-Alan Landes. The plot centers on two young lovers. Lydia, who
reads romance novels, wants a purely romantic love affair. To court
her, Jack pretends to be “Ensign Beverly,” a poor officer. Lydia loves
the idea of eloping with a poor soldier, but her guardian, Mrs.
Malaprop, thinks otherwise. Mrs. Malaprop is the chief comic figure of
the play, thanks to her continual misuse of words that sound like the
words she intends but mean something completely different. (“She’s as
stubborn as an allegory on the banks of the Nile.”) The farce has lost
little of its entertainment value over the past two centuries, and like
The Importance of Being Earnest, its take on love and manners still
rings true. Twelve males, six females, one boy. [Players Press,
www.ppeps.com]