Trying to find that special someone can be quite a trial in our hectic, fast-paced society. In Christopher Durang's play Beyond Therapy, which played at the Green Room Theatre last week, the already difficult situation of trying to build a new relationship is given an extra twist through the creation of a unique love triangle.

The story centers around Bruce (Matt Shapiro '02), a neurotic bisexual thirtysomething; Prudence (Sarah Yount '03), the equally neurotic thirtysomething who answers his personal ad, and Bob (Matthew Kendall '02), Bruce's high-strung, jealous lover. Add to the mix Bruce's and Prudence's therapists (Tülin Khalid '03 and Alex Lubar '02, respectively), and the stage has been set for confusion, conflict, and lots of comedy.

As a whole, the actors come off very well. Shapiro is outstanding in capturing Bruce's inner conflict as he tries to balance his relationships with Prudence and Bob. He easily shifts from making casual conversation with Prudence to frantically trying to keep a melodramatic Bob from killing himself. It is this ability to try and hold things together that makes Bruce win the audience's support.

Hands down, the best performance in the show belongs to Matthew Kendall. As Bob, Kendall does an excellent job in nailing down the mannerisms of what would be considered a "stereotypical" gay man -- the matching clothes, the extreme neatness, and the "mama's boy" behavior. But what makes Bob really shine is the fact that Kendall shows him to be a three-dimensional person with concerns about his changing role in a relationship.

Ms. Yount's performance as Prudence, while good, comes across as a bit lacking in the end. She handles her interactions with Bruce, Bob, and Stuart well, with just the right amounts of apprehension and attitude. On the other hand, the nervousness which she shows in the early scenes with Shapiro seem more like a sixteen-year old girl going out on her first date than a thirtysomething with a history of unlucky relationships.

Alex Lubar turns in a hilarious portrayal of Stuart Framingham, Prudence's horny, womanizing, jealous therapist. The opinions that Stuart expresses would be considered backwards in many circles; both his attitudes toward gays and women, along with his ideas about sex are both prejudicial and self-centered. His objections to Prudence seeing Bruce come not only from Bruce's bisexuality, but from fears that Bruce performed better in bed than he did. These views fuel much of the humor (he tells off one patient because she complained about his problems with premature ejaculation), and coupled with Lubar's acting and comedic skills (this reviewer is convinced that he is destined to be the next Michael Palin), makes for a strong, funny performance.

Rounding out the main cast is Ms. Khalid as Charlotte Wallace, Bruce's flaky therapist. She talks to her patients through her stuffed Snoopy doll, has trouble finding the right words (literally) and remembering what her point is. Ms. Khalid does an admirable job as the scatterbrained psychologist; her best scene is perhaps where she tries to come on to Bob while he squirms in the chair. Charlotte's only drawback is not the fault of Ms. Khalid, but rather of the playwright; the running joke with word problems becomes a bit tiresome by the end of the play.

Beyond Therapy, directed by Camilla Schade, senior adjunct instructor of theatre, continues along the line of plays that this reviewer has seen her stage over the past three years: comedies with effective elements of social criticism. While (obviously) less formal than the 17th century French society reflected in Tartuffe, and while much lighter than the very dark comedy in The Suicide, Beyond Therapy follows a similar tack; exposing characters and the attitudes they represent to ridicule through their actions. Ms. Schade also does an admirable job of allowing the actors freedom within their roles, while still keeping them from using the situation to turn the play into ninety minutes of one-upmanship.

The play flows smoothly, but quickly. This is reflected in the frantic pace of one of the songs played between scenes, which opens with a variation on Aram Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance" before it segues into a much calmer song. Ms. Schade also uses the patrons in the restaurant to good effect. This group of extras not only fill in the background, but poke their heads out of corners or wait in line to see Dr. Framingham at appropriate times, helping to bridge the scene transitions along the same line as the servant girls Ms. Schade featured in Tartuffe.

The set, designed by John Whiting, uses a very modern motif of steel and wood, but is minimalist and subdued, allowing the characters to take center stage. The lighting, also designed by Whiting, is equally subdued; the most noticeable element of the lighting is a pair of lamps over the two therapists' offices, which move up or down depending on where the action is, looking very much like a giant pan balance.

Beyond Therapy works best because it takes the characters and makes them three-dimensional people. There are enough neurotic characters in this play to fill an entire season's worth of Seinfeld. However, through Durang's script, Ms. Schade's directing, and the cast's performances, the play rises above cardboard cutouts and presents a genuinely human story about the trials and tribulations of relationships in the present day.

Beyond Therapy was performed at the Green Room Theatre on 7 through 11 February 2001.

© 2001 The College Reporter. Reprinted with permission.