Turning Thirty

Reviewed by Paul Birchall

RECOMMENDED:

Lisa Phillips Visca’s upbeat romantic comedy is no cure for cancer – or even the common cold.  What the glib and frequently engaging work does most artfully, though, is provide a remarkably Nice Night Out.  It’s a pleasant, genial comedy to enjoy with mom or with the kids. This sweet froth, smoothly directed by Chris DeCarlo, contains performances that boast a nice amount of energy, sincerity, and warmth.  And there’s certainly a place in the world for a cheerful, unassuming good-time romance such as this one. 

Nicole (Kelley Dorney) and Amber (Mary Ann Pianka) are cousins who have been raised as sisters, mainly because their respective single mothers are themselves sisters who have stuck together like glue their whole lives.  Prim, hardworking CPA Rosie (Evelyn Rudie) is the mom of the sweet but unreliable Amber, an aspiring artist who goes through men like someone with a cold goes through Kleenex.  By contrast, flaky, sultry Gina (Elisa Surmont, in full-on Samantha mode from Sex in the City) is the mother of gentle, driven Nicole, who slaves at an ice cream parlor and is focused on her dream of opening her own yogurt shop. 

As the date of the two cousins’ 30^th birthday approaches, they receive word that their long-deceased granddad has left them a trust fund – but only if they find men and get married.  It looks as though Nicole is going to win the prize first, as she’s dating cold but handsome corporate executive James (Max Bunzel), while Angela can’t keep a man to save her life.  However, Angela’s new roommate —  sweet, aspiring novelist Nathan (Patrick Censoplano) — causes complications when he enters Nicole’s orbit.

It’s best to gloss over the play’s undeniable flaws, most of which have to do with a lack of logic that favors sentimentality over sense. There’s much narrative sloppiness here, and many of the relationships arise mainly as what seems to be the result of the author following steps on a flow chart. Characters end up with their desserts in ways that are convenient contrivances.

And yet, somehow the vivacity and charm with which director DeCarlo’s cast executes the piffle actually works on an emotional level.  The credit is mainly due to the gentle and rather sensitive performances by cast members who sell the silliness by simply being likable and engaging.  The ensemble work here is tight — far more nuanced and rich with dimensionality than one would expect from the material. We get the sense of characters who might bicker and spar but who genuinely love each other. Dorney’s delightfully perky Nicole possesses a winning innocence, and her scenes with Censoplano possess warmth and chemistry. Rudie does some of her best work as the kind, dry-witted and sensible family matriarch. 

Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 4^th Street, Santa Monica.  Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; through June 29. (310) 394-9779, https://santamonicaplayhouse.com