By D. A. Blackburn
Spring has arrived, and romance is in the air — just not at the Planet Ant Theatre, whose latest production, a two-feature bill titled "Love Springs Laughs," falls short on both humor and romance.
"The Perfect Solution," written by Wayne State alum Kim Carney, is a simple tale of platonic friendship pushed to its romantic limits. Best friends Neena (Jackie Strez) and Heidi (Jaime Moyer) are women scorned. Unlucky in love, they decide that the "perfect solution" is to date each other. Hilarity should ensue. But sadly, the work plays out just as one would expect it to in real life — straight girls can't will themselves to be lesbians, struggle with this reality, and ultimately decide that they're better off as best friends.
Strez and Moyer both make good showings in "Solution," but the script is simply a bland vehicle for their considerable comedic talents. They share a good chemistry throughout the work, creating credible, likable characters, and they do earn a few laughs, but there's nothing ground-breaking or even fresh about the script's tired humor.
Joseph Zettelmaier's "One Man's Trash" is easily the night's stronger script, but it, too, seems below the standard of the Planet Ant. A struggling young couple, Benji (Brian Thibault) and Shari (Beth Ann Thibault) capture a crafty leprechaun (Patrick O'Connor Cronin), only to discover that his legendary pot of gold is a simple metaphor.
There is some clever writing involved in creating the illusion of a believable four-inch-tall leprechaun, but again, this work feels wholly predictable from the outset. The Thibaults are in fine form as the quintessential trailer trash couple, and Cronin's performance is equally amusing, but the play never really taps the potential of its outlandish scenario.
It's not to say that "The Perfect Solution" and "One Man's Trash" are a total loss; they're not, in the sense that there are good performances gleaned from them. But rather predictable plots and tepid humor make for a less-than-memorable night of theater.
REVIEW:
'Love Springs Laughs'
Planet Ant Theatre, 2357 Caniff St., Hamtramck. Fridays & Saturdays through May 16, plus Sunday, May 10. $15. 313-365-4948. http://www.planetant.com
