Romantic Comedy

The Community Players have opened their 99th season with their production of Bernard Slade's "Romantic Comedy," a story about two playwrights navigating the pitfalls of creating art and finding true love. The play was a modest Broadway hit in the late 1970s in a production that starred Mia Farrow and Anthony Perkins.

At the Community Players, there are some solid performances, but unfortunately, convoluted plotting and an uneven tone drag the whole show down.

Duane Langley plays Jason Carmichael, who has just broken up with his longtime writing partner. On his wedding day, Phoebe Craddock (Kelly Barry) walks into his apartment while he is buck-naked and waiting for his masseuse.

Phoebe is a sweet, innocent Vermont schoolteacher looking to break into show business. She and Jason team up to write a play, which ends up getting horrible reviews.

Years pass. Jason and Phoebe really love each other but can't express their true feelings. They exchange some very lame insults instead.

"You dress like a walking garage sale," Jason tells her.

Phoebe mocks Jason's lackluster sexual performance (she fell asleep).

More years pass. Phoebe has written a best-selling book and is now married to journalist Leo (the always amusing Tom Lavallee), but she still carries a torch for Jason despite the fact he is a compulsive womanizer.

In an incredibly awkward and cringeworthy scene, Leo and Jason reflect on their sexual experiences with Phoebe.

Langley does the best he can at embodying a cynical, self-loathing artist who is haunted by his own demons.

Barry, who plays second fiddle to Langley, seems adrift most of the time.
Janette Gregorian shines as the sardonic Blanche, who serves as Jason's agent and voice of conscience. Gregorian appears infrequently but livens up the action every chance she gets.

Kiki Maples is solid in the underwritten role of Allison, Jason's long-suffering wife who is jealous of his love of theater. Would she prefer he take up welding?

One problem with "Romantic Comedy" is the lack of a consistent tone. It's as if director Kimberly Rau couldn't decide what type of story she wanted to tell.
We see Jason at one point appearing disheveled, bitter, and resentful of Phoebe's success. As a result, he lashes out at the world. This seems ripped from a serious drama, not something billed as a "romantic comedy."

Another major problem is that Jason and Phoebe's relationship makes little sense. They don't even seem to like each other, yet Phoebe rushes to Jason's side after he suffers a mild heart attack. She even gives him a massage during his recovery (!). This, despite the fact that Jason sabotaged every attempt she made to have a lasting relationship?

There are other moments which strain plausibility.

Are we really to believe Leo would calmly sit back and watch his wife acting as Jason's nursemaid? Or that Allison couldn't catch on to her husband's infatuation with his beautiful writing partner? She barely flinches when she sees a passed out Phoebe resting her head on Jason's lap. Give me a break.
With a run time of two-and-a-quarter hours, "Romantic Comedy" is a tedious and frustrating ordeal. Slade needed a lot more romance and comedy in this story.

"Romantic Comedy" runs through September 22. The Community Players. Jenks Auditorium. 350 Division St., Pawtucket, RI. For tickets, visit thecommunityplayers.net or call 401-726-6860.