Review: MEN ARE FROM MARS - WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS at Starlight Theatre

Actor/Comedian Amadeo Fusca opens the five-show Starlight Theatre indoor season with his rendition of "Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus Live" The show is a very funny, one man take on Dr. John Gray's 50 million copy relationship handbook of the same name..

Transformed into a touring production by Eric Coble, Amadeo adjusts the play script into a continuous two- hour standup routine about his own New York City marriage. The monologue is broken only with clips of Dr. Gray and a couple of cartoon assistants explaining his relationship theories. Most couples have no trouble relating to and (at least) smiling to themselves with each new situation. It proves we are all more alike than different. And life's problems tend to broadly re-create themselves from couple to couple.

The basic conflict behind Dr. Gray's theory on relationships carries through almost unchanged.. Male/female interaction depends on two brain chemicals. The first of these is dopamine. Dopamine is the substance that, when secreted into the brain, alerts us to more primal danger reactions. The second substance is serotonin. Serotonin tends to calm one down and balance the dopamine danger high.

Production of the signature chemicals are pretty much inverse between men and women. According to Gray, dopamine production in women happen at about eight times the rate it occurs in men. The play explains this behavior.

Men usually address challenges on a task identified - task completed sort of formula. Most women, on the other hand, tend to open multiple challenges and work them in a more complex way. This often manifests in the way partners see each other.

It is totally up to the man to learn how to understand his partner and make allowances for differences in coping schemes. Got it? In other words, Men need to maximize the way they relate and find a safe place in the relationship wars that result in long standing, successfully partnerships.

OK, a guy has goes to work each day and works through his challenges (read dopamine producers) one by one all day long. He arrives home, and all he wants to do is plop down on a cushy piece of furniture in front of the TV, turn on a mindless sporting activity, and allow the serotonin to do its work.

Unfortunately, the woman still has all these open issues to close and she expects the man to assist her in resolving them. She sits down on the couch next to the Martian and waits to acquire his undivided attention that shows her he cares..

Amadeo's marriage is generally recognizable and pretty funny stuff. Seen through his lens, he guides the audience through those little incidents that happen in every relationship. Some members of the audience may not agree with the conclusions, but they certainly get an appreciation of all the brain imprinting that is occurring.

"Men are from Venus" continues its run through this weekend in the Cohen stage house with the hanger door to the outdoor seats closed for the winter season. Tickets are available on the Starlight Theatre website or by telephone at 800-847-9227.

Photo provided courtesy of Amadeo Fusca and Starlight Theatre.

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