Mixed Reviews for Playhouse's 'Beyond Therapy'

To kick off the Westport Country Playhouse's 80th year, "Beyond Therapy," by playwright Christopher During is being staged until May 14. The absurdist comedy, about a couple seeking solace in therapy, has attracted mixed reviews that run the gamut throughout the state.

Frank Rizzo of the Hartford Courtant was most enthusiastic about "Beyond Therapy."

Sound kind of insane: Indeed. And that's the fun of it. Once the actors and audience connect to the daft comic rhythms of the playwright, the bravura absurdities begin to have a cumulative effect. And the production, nicely balanced between the real and the surreal by director David Kennedy, becomes fabulously nutty.

On the opposite end was Geary Danihy of the Westport News, who said that the play, which was originally staged in 1981, has not aged well.

All in all, "Beyond Therapy," what with all of its now non-topical references and small-screen sitcom characters, is a pleasant enough diversion better enjoyed with your slippered feet up on a hassock, a bowl of potato chips in your lap, the libation of your choice at your side and your TV remote in your hand, just in case you want to switch channels to watch "The Love Boat" or "The Dukes of Hazzard."

Anita Gates of the New York Times hailed the direction of David Kennedy.

A lot of the credit for the Westport production’s success has to go to the director, David Kennedy, who is also the playhouse’s associate artistic director. Mr. Durang’s dialogue is the main ingredient, but it wouldn’t be as satisfying without Mr. Kennedy’s saucy little directorial touches.

Irene Backalenick of the News Times said that the despite the strong opportunity for comedy with the subject matter, the laughs just never come. Still, she said the technical aspects of the production are strong.

The production itself, adroitly directed by David Kennedy, must be viewed in a positive light. It moves along smoothly, swiftly, from one short scene to another, played out against Lee Savage's slick, minimal set design.

"Beyond Therapy" is representative of a bygone era, writes Christopher Arnott for the Hartford Advocate, but the jokes should play well with a Westport crowd.

These can be as obscure as a mention of 1950s film actress Betsy Drake, who happened to grow up in Westport, or as broad as the constant romantic chatter about marrying and settling in Connecticut. The dream-home talks culminate in a “Say the first thing that comes to mind” exercise where poor Prudence blurts out “Bridgeport” when she means “Westport.” A zoning-law joke also goes over big-time with Westport audiences.

Although the play isn't uproarious, David Rosenberg of the Norwalk Hour says the play makes for a "relatively harmless 90 minutes."

It needs characters who appear normal and realistic. What's funny is what happens around them as they try to right an upended world. In "Beyond Therapy," our noses are thrust into eccentricity and we have zero empathy for the characters.

The final stagings for the Westport Country Playhouse's "Beyond Therapy is Tuesday-Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.westportplayhouse.org