Play rings with laughs, tears of life

There's no way to mince words: The first few minutes of the Angel Cabaret Theatre's You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running are BORRRR-ing.

For one thing, the characters in the first of the three one-act vignettes, the flamboyant producer Herb (Michael O. Smith), and the pontifical scriptwriter Jack (Martin Preston), aren't very likable.

For another, the actors don't demonstrate the ability of, say, a Danny DeVito or a William Holden, to make these obnoxious characters likable.

But hang in there. Within 10 or 15 minutes of the opening, an eager-to-please character named Pawling (George Cahill III) comes on the scene, and Cahill's outlandish physical humor and earnest face make the show take off.

In the second act, Cahill does a terrific serious-comic lead, Preston is in his element as an unctuous salesman and the fun simply soars.

But it's the third act, when the marvelous Smith is a grumpy old codger doing word battle with his addled current wife, that puts the play into orbit.

By the end of the show, you want to stick around and see the whole thing all over again, draggy beginning and all.

You Know . . . is three different plays in three acts, with the show's five actors playing different roles in each segment. The beauty of Robert Anderson's script is that even during the most aching moments, there's a sweet undercurrent of easy humor, and during the most humorous moments, there's a biting sublayer of painful truth. We're watching people at their most vulnerable, the casual moments that define life.

Actually, though the play is billed as a comedy, the serious nature of the issues in each segment makes the humor seem almost incidental.

Act 1, The Shock of Recognition, talks about censorship vs. good taste, but the real issue is who's in control. Jack the playwright claims a nude scene is necessary to his plot. Herb the producer fears his audiences will walk out when they see a naked man on stage. It takes Pawling, the aspiring actor, to make them see how ridiculous the whole argument really is. In the doing, all three actors make cogent points that don't resolve the question, but generate genuine thought.

Act 2, The Footsteps of Doves, has George (Cahill) and Harriet (Kay Brady), shopping for mattresses shortly after their 25th wedding anniversary. George wants to stick with "good old 54," a reference to their double bed. Harriet wants twin beds.

George realizes the significance of this decision, the "Persian Gulf" that will have to be traversed between beds to have sex and the humiliation of possible rejection once those challenging few feet are crossed, as opposed to the casual, easy way to send and receive signals when both people are sharing one cozy mattress.

Harriet will have none of it, saying she wants an uninterrupted night of sleep.

That's when young, lovely and single Jill (Barbara Eaker) comes on the scene to shop for her own "good old 54," and George begins to realize that Harriet isn't the only game in town, even as Harriet seems to remain oblivious to the import of what she is doing.

Act 3, I'm Herbert, is the crown jewel in this production, as Smith hits his stride as the irascible Herbert, an old geezer reminiscing (to the best of his hazy ability) with Muriel (Brady), his equally vague current wife. Smith has the mannerisms down perfect, from easygoing nose-picking to offhanded pressing on a bothersome hernia.

Playwright Robert Anderson's dialogue is at its most poignant and insightful here, with exchanges that ring with heartbreaking familiarity.

The Angel's production isn't flawless -- the backdrop is too art deco (and too sparse) to set the proper mood for the subject matter, the slow start may put some in the audience into a deep sleep, and the announcer's voice is too loud and his tone a tad smarmy -- but those willing to jump those hurdles will be rewarded with a good time.

If you go

You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running, weekends through June 30 at Angel Cabaret Theatre, 5201 U.S. 19 (Southgate Shopping Center), New Port Richey. Performances at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 6 p.m. Sundays and 1:30 p.m. some Saturdays. Doors open two hours before each show for buffet and cash wine and beer bar. Dinner and show, $32.50; show only, $19.95, plus tax and tip. Call (727) 847-0019.

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