Lunacy of 'Therapy' Delights

It seemed like another terrifying Ikea nightmare. Overturned furniture and randomly placed Venetian blinds led some in the audience to have move-in flashbacks. When the lights dimmed, though, anxieties dissipated as it became apparent that all were sitting before the opening set of The Pennsylvania Player's performance of Christopher Durang's comedy, Beyond Therapy. Drawing on the lunacy and humanity which lay within all of us, Beyond Therapy offers a humorously satirical glimpse of the 1980s. Durang skillfully creates six bumbling yet endearing characters who complacently exist as caricatures of themselves. College senior Dan Bisbee masterfully directs the action of two therapists, a lonely woman, a hostile waiter, a sincere man and his live-in lover through an ever-entangled situation which is so incredibly bizarre that it actually fits together perfectly. Beyond Therapy opens with a hysterical sketch depicting an unsuspecting Prudence, played convincingly by College senior Simone Elliot, meets for dinner with a date she arranged through the personal ads . When her match, Bruce, played by College junior Riaz Patel, encounters her, he promptly compliments her on her lovely breasts and her contact lenses. Bruce then proceeds to break down in tears because he believes that Prudence has her eye on the waiter. After Prudence threatens to leave innumerable times she eventually finds herself involved not only with Bruce, but also with his lover and both of their therapists, who seem to be in need of some psychoanalysis themselves. College sophomores Brian Turnbaugh, Elizabeth Mitchell and Wharton Graduate student Ted Leavengood bring stellar performances to the stage. At the end, the audience is neither certain who is the most absurd or who is going to go home with the waiter, played by College junior Aron Greenberg. With only three weeks production time and a tight budget, the Penn Players managed to put together a surprisingly smooth show. The talented acting and the immensely entertaining story line was amply accented by simple stage sets. The audience laughed throughout, almost uncontrollably at some points. At the end they rewarded the cast and crew with a much deserved standing ovation. Beyond Therapy will be running September 13 and 14 at 8 p.m. in The Studio Theater at Annenberg Center. Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased on Locust Walk and at the Annenberg Center.