Review: THE MYSTERY OF LOVE & SEX Captivates at the Taper

The Mystery of Love & Sex/by Bathsheba Doran/directed by Robert Egan/Mark Taper Forum/through March 20

It is refreshing to watch family dysfunction where family members, striving to make thing better, do honestly care about one another. In Bathsheba Doran's The Mystery of Love & Sex we are presented with quite a divergent platter at first glance, but as time progresses and with so many transformations in plot and character, reconnection never ceases to be a top priority. Helmed by Robert Egan, the play, though taking a tad too long to reach its resolutions, boasts some witty dialogue and substantially engrossing scenes by playwright Doran and an outstanding cast of five at the Mark Taper Forum through March 20.

The play's cluttered issues begin at the top when Lucinda (Sharon Lawrence) and Howard (David Pittu) pay a visit to their daughter Charlotte (Mae Whitman) at college. She has wholeheartedly prepared a Japanese style meal for them and her boyfriend Jonny (York Walker) to enjoy. The main problem is that Howard, a New York Jew and famous published author, and Lucinda are used to being pampered and having everything they want. Sitting on the floor and eating a salad and French bread without butter is not their idea of a winning combination. Add to this the fact that Lucinda is vociferously annoyed and bored with Howard...and that Jonny, although a family friend for many years, is black. This matters, for Charlottle has invited her parents to dinner to tell them of a possible engagement. Talk about an uncomfortable situation! This is the South, Lucinda is a Southerner and feels that her daughter could do better. Mix into all of this Charlotte's unusual feelings of attraction toward a lesbian on campus, and also that Jonny, although he proclaims his love for her, is just not ready to be engaged, not even to have sex with her, for that matter. Unbelievably, he's a virgin, and after taking off her clothes and literally throwing herself at him, Charlotte suffers humiliation as he does not respond with even so much as a warm touch. In the long run, Jonny meets a guy and comes out of the closet as Charlotte takes on and continues an unpleasant, complicated relationship with a woman. They are both attracted to the same sex, as well as to each other, and so their proclaimed 'soulmate' friendship goes on.

Lucinda and Howard? They divorce, but Lucinda continues to show up, providing motherly support for Charlotte. Howard has remarried; Lucinda is seeing many men. Charlotte moves on to another woman Martha, a surgeon, and Jonny, to other men. Their closeness remains until it is discovered that Jonny has betrayed Howard by writing on the internet about the racism, sexism and homophobia in Howard's detective novels, behind his back. Despite their color differences, Howard has considered Jonny the son he never had. He leashes out against Jonny's devious actions, yet still finds it in his heart to forgive him. Nevertheless, on the eve of her wedding to Martha, in which Jonny is to be her best man, Charlotte gives him the axe due to his lack of loyalty to her father.

It is amazing that Doran manages to tackle multiple variations of the race and sex issues within the course of two and a half hours, quite effectively. The pain for each of the characters only grows worse, yet the four do cope and attempt to nurture one another. It is always comforting to see a mother/daughter scene where the two confide in each other like BFFs as they polish each other's toenails. Warm and beautifully written scene! Even Howard tries to do some good for the wedding, to make his daughter and his ex-wife happy, by buying back Lucinda's wedding gown for Charlotte to wear. I also admire Doran's sense of humor in handling the whole gay thing with Howard and Lucinda being so accepting of Charlotte as a free spirit, and when Howard's father agrees to come to the wedding of his granddaughter to a lesbian, it's because"The Torah says nothing about two women."

Under Egan's smooth direction, the actors are sublimely engaged. Whitman is a treasure as Charlotte, so vulnerable and brave. Lawrence is a pleasure to watch, as always, so focused on Lucinda's complexities and misery, yet very giving to Charlotte. Pittu provides humor and pathos in conveying Howard's irritability and self-absorption. But he too is supportive and loving of his little girl. Walker has the toughest role and engages us admirably. His stripping down/ transformation to love at play's end is irresistibly amusing and thrilling to watch. Robert Towers has a brief, but convincing appearance as Howard's father at the wedding, proving once more that there is no such thing as a small part.Takeshi Kata's big open set with only furniture changes to distinguish the various locales serves the universality of the play quite well.

The Mystery of Love & Sex seems somewhat long, yet never contrived. The characters' innovative and sincere interactions and this excellent ensemble serve to make it a very fine evening of theatre.

www.centertheatregroup.org

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