Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

Zephyer Rep's production of Dulcy by George Kaufman feels like an extended episode of I Love Lucy, and that is meant in the most complimentary way. There are many similarities: a ditzy and fun-loving wife who interferes with everyone else's affairs, causes all sorts of  problems that are hilarious to a viewer (even if devastating to the protagonist), gets yelled at by her husband, but then fixes everything and lives happily ever after with her husband

Dulcy Smith might not be quite as timeless a character as Lucy Ricardo, but she does come in a close second. The material that most definitely was hilarious in 1921, when the play was originally written, is still quite funny and makes for an entertaining evening. The production feels like watching a sitcom and letting yourself get invested into another family's stories. The Wings Theatre is an intimate and small space, so the audience feels as connected to Dulcy's story as they might to whatever story they are watching on television. They almost feel like a guest in this wacky house.

Dulcy tells the story of a woman named Dulcy who lives with her husband Gordon in a sophisticated and glamorous home in Westchester County, NY. Dulcy is a bubbly and enthusiastic woman who never slows down for a moment. She invites several people to her home for the weekend, convinced that she can get several of these people to fall in love with each other and get another man to make an important business deal with her husband. Through all of her meddling, fiascos begin to occur and suddenly it seems like there is no way everything is going to work out. The audience knows that everything is going to work out in the end because this is, after all, a fun and simple comedy, yet they remain on the edge of their seats, waiting for what surprise is going to occur. And there are many surprises.

Amanda Van Nostrand plays Dulcy and does an overall very strong job of carrying the show and making Dulcy just ditzy enough that she is funny, not annoying. Sometimes her choice of actions gets a little unspecific and babbly, but she remains engaging. She truthfully reacts to everything going on around her and makes big and strong choices where it really matters. The character of Dulcy initially seems like a one-dimensional and stereotypical housewife who is only interested in gossiping and shopping. However, Ms. Van Nostrand shows that there is more to Dulcy and she really allows herself to be affected and vulnerable in the show's few serious moments. She earns her over-the-top moments because she was understated in those more intense moments with her husband. Sam Albertsen, who plays Gordon, has a likeable quality that makes him enjoyable to watch. It is hard for any man to play opposite such a vibrant female character, but Mr. Albertsen does a very competent job. Francesca Barrett plays Mrs. Forbes, a married woman who comes with her husband and young adult daughter to the Smith house and manages to fall in love with another man in the presence of her own husband. Ms. Barrett did a nice job showing the conflict of Mrs. Forbes of falling in love with another man, but still knowing that she is obligated to her own husband.

What made the acting especially strong was the dedication to strong physical choices. Timothy Ryan (Vincent Leach), Anthony Bagnetto (Tom Sterrett), and Matthew Wise (Schuyler Van Dyke) particularly stood out in with their physical choices. Their gestures and movements make these larger than life characters still seem like real people because all real people have quirky and strange physical habits too.

The most negative thing about the production is not anyone's fault, but more the sad issue that independent theaters do not have the funding that they once might have. While the scenery and costumes were not bad by any means, it was very difficult to truly believe that this was a wealthy WASP family with gardens, butlers, billiard rooms, and libraries. The scenery and costumes did not create an upper-class society quite as much as it could have, which is unfortunate because the rest of the production was so delightful. This production of Dulcy was better than a lot of the commercial theater that is playing on Broadway. If only the budget from some of these spectacle shows could be cut in half and some of the money could be given to these independent theaters that are producing strong work as well.

Playing through July 3rd, Dulcy is a very entertaining and fun time at the theater. Go support independent theater because it is the independent theaters that are the future of the theater. This wasn't a jukebox musical or a play that was only selling tickets because celebrities were in it. It was just a good solid play, and quite honestly, we could use more of those in New York.