Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

In 1841 Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "Every man passes his life in the search after friendship." The latest theatrical offering by The Unofficial New York Yale Cabaret, a theater company comprised of alumni from the Yale School of Drama, brings the great American man-of-letter's observation--with an accompanying romp--into the 21st century with "Separating the Men from the Bull." The intermissionless, two-actor series of seven witty vignettes, performed by Daniel Jenkins and Neal Lerner, is being performed at The West Bank Café's Laura Beechman Theater, possessing a cozy pub-like atmosphere where food and drink are available.

As the title implies, the show takes a humorous, off-center approach to differentiating--and debunking--some "nonsense" notions about the male psyche, the focus here being how man relates to a fellow man in a variety of circumstances and situations. The two fellows encountered in the opening absurdist-tinged sketch involves "Man" arriving for a appointment at "Friend Finder Department" and being interviewed by "Mister." The meeting has a rocky start, but brief episodic encounters of these characters later in the evening serve well as a theme-unifying element. Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Learner are next viewed as Eric and Richie, two 10-year-olds "coming of age" while discussing sex, religion and friendship. The two actors are each remarkably convincing as five additional personages in the remaining scenes. For me, perhaps the most amusing piece takes place in the setting of a country field where two co-working bulls (Clyde and Teddy) are "hanging," and one gives advice to his less-worldly pal about the art of lovemaking. Ironies in the conversation abound, and the humor becomes particularly poignant when the male bovines almost become touchy-feely. Another interesting sketch is set in a disco bar and portrays friends whose emotional ties make them "more than just friends."

The creative talent of the company is also apparent in the directorial pacing of Becky London and the befitting efforts of the costume, sound, set and lighting designers, who accomplish a lot with a little. (Something learned at Yale School for Drama“)

"Separating the Men from the Bull" is an enjoyable evening of theater, but for me the whole was a little less than the sum of its parts. There are some good laughs to be had, yet many times I felt as if I were in the audience of TV's "Who's Line Is It Anyway?" The good part of that is experiencing witty spontaneity being generated; the not so good part is feeling only a modicum of depth of feeling for the characters.

About great theater, I can't remember who said it first: "Make them laugh; make them cry; make them think." I guess getting two out of three is certainly encouraging for opening night.