Men. We're simple creatures, really. If you feed us, pat us on our heads occasionally and tell us how wonderful we are, and take care of certain carnal needs, we're yours for life. Or so the popular theory goes. Robert Dubac expands on that a bit in his "The Male Intellect: An Oxymoron?" now playing at Andiamo Novi Theatre – and the result is a thoroughly delightful and laugh-filled night out for men and women alike. And neither is harmed (or offended) in the process!
Dubac's hypothesis is also rather simple – and it makes total sense: Problems between the sexes aren't caused by the lack of communication, but by how differently we communicate. In other words, we do the same things; we just don't do them the same way.
And what's to blame for this, you may be asking yourself? That damn "y" chromosome we men are conceived with, says Dubac, which means it's genetic – so it's not likely we'll ever change. Therefore, women, why not try to understand us? And us them? Hence: "The Male Intellect."
As the show opens, Dubac assumes the role of Bobby, whose girlfriend left him two weeks earlier over a bedroom dispute regarding her cat. (Men prefer dogs, he notes.) She wanted the cat to sleep with them; he didn't like waking up to a cat butt in his face every morning. He needed space, he told her – and she gave it to him. Only that's not what he meant. See? They were communicating – but she didn't understand what he was saying.
Bobby, with a beer in hand (and others stashed away in his file cabinet), then uses the rest of the 90-minute show to walk us through a typical man's thought process – and the two sides of his brain. Assisting him are the memories of other members of the male tribe who influenced him over the years, including The Colonel, who insists men should simply 'fess up and admit "we're assholes." (Women love honesty, he believes.) Each visitor, we discover, holds a key to the answer of that age-old question "What do women want?" – and Bobby believes he needs to understand it if his girlfriend is ever to return.
Well, good luck with that, Bobby! While many profess to know the answer to that burning question – and Dubac opens the performance by showing us many of the books that claim to do just that – I suspect we'll never likely know. (As Bobby points out, the rules keep changing.) However, "The Male Intellect" is probably the most fun I've had researching the subject – thanks to Dubac's sharp and perceptive writing and his conversational-style performance.
The show is presented as a blend of stand-up comedy and live theater, and Dubac moves smoothly between the two. His characters are well drawn, and his charming smile and piercing wit quickly disarm anyone whose dander is raised because of politically correctness. (It's heresy in some quarters to believe men and women are different, you know. And doubly so to joke about it in mixed company!)
Opening night's 90-minute performance flashed by in record time – 75 minutes, thanks to a very small house that laughed a lot, but not long enough to fill the usual time slot. Although no one in the audience complained, Dubac extended his Q&A by treating us to material from his latest show. It was a classy and much-appreciated move from a guy whose show title might lead people to think otherwise of our gender!
REVIEW:
'The Male Intellect: An Oxymoron?'
Andiamo Novi Theatre, 42705 Grand River Avenue, Novi. Wednesday-Sunday through April 24. $30-$35; Dinner and Show Packages $79.95-$89.95 per couple. 248-348-4448. http://www.andiamonovitheatre.com.
