‘Allergist’s Wife’ a mentally kinky comedy

TOM TITUS

The Laguna Playhouse ventures into the unchartered waters of Charles

Busch territory with its current production, Busch’s intellectually

kinky comedy “The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife.”

The title character, Marjorie -- a culture-devouring upper-class

housewife, inconsolable over the recent death of her beloved

therapist -- is a work in progress, an unfinished woman despairing

over the pointlessness of her life. Her doctor-husband has recently

retired from the medical profession, yet seems as emotionally

inaccessible as before.

Enter an old childhood friend, Lee Green (Letitia Greenblatt). Lee

has seemingly been everywhere and done everything, and she raises

name-dropping to an art form. She invites Marjorie to share in her

fabulous life -- just the ticket for an unfulfilled soul, it would

seem.

In director Joel Bishoff’s robust production, the chemistry

between these two women bubbles over into a seemingly perfect

relationship, one even involving the allergist himself. Yet,

something is not quite right, as the Manhattan couple discover late

in the play.

Randee Heller in the title role brings a splendid physical and

intellectual energy to her assignment, rising from ashes of

despondency to a re-galvanized culture vulture, sharing her passion

for such authors as Herman Hesse and Franz Kafka and planning to

write a second novel (the first sank without a trace) -- this one

built around Plato and Helen Keller.

As her allergist husband, who adores her but devotes most of his

time to treating the allergy-impaired homeless, Barry Pearl delivers

a smooth, confident character. This facade crumbles, however, when

his wife’s visitor initiates a frolicking threesome on their couch.

The latter role of Lee is deliciously rendered by Suzanne Ford,

who projects the epitome of sophistication and lures both Heller and

Pearl into her seductive web. Ford mesmerizes Heller with her stories

of visiting China (with the Nixons, which somewhat dates the play)

and chatting up the great and near-great of recent history.

As if comic relief were needed, Sue Ozeran provides it in the role

of Frieda, Heller’s aged mother who lives down the hall, moves with a

walker and conducts a running battle with her daughter when not

expounding on her bowel movement difficulties -- usually while the

others are eating. Daniel Tatar completes the cast as an affable

Iraqi doorman whose presence becomes pivotal late in the proceedings.

Busch spins a fascinating story, packed with twists and turns such

as the closing moments of act one, when the existence of Ford’s

character is in serious question. But he writes “past the point” when

his play continues after reaching a logical final curtain moment.

“Allergist’s Wife” is played out against a magnificent backdrop by

Bruce Goodrich, including a panoramic view of Central Park that

underscores the affluence of the apartment’s residents. Dwight

Richard Odle’s costumes are bright and attractive, as is Paulie

Jenkins’ lighting plot.

If “The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife” seems, well, a little

twisted, just remember that this is Charles Busch, whose works

include titles like “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom.” Leave your

preconceived notions of stage comedy at the door and you’ll

thoroughly enjoy the Laguna production.

BACKSTAGE -- The Laguna Playhouse is offering free theater tickets

to Laguna Beach residents affected by the recent landslide. Any

resident whose home has been red-tagged or yellow-tagged may request

up to four complimentary tickets to any performance of the current

Playhouse production, “The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife,” simply by

showing their driver’s license at the theater’s ticket office.

Laguna Playhouse Executive Director Richard Stein commented: “In

times like these, the community of Laguna Beach always comes

together, and we consider it our civic duty to contribute our part.

Perhaps a couple of hours enjoying this comedy will provide these

residents some brief respite from their trouble and anxiety over the

future.”