Though it is being advertised as "A naughty little comedy about a lovable nymphomaniac," DEAR PRUDENCE is actually a farce about three roommates, a dead body, and what to do with it. Too heavy-handed to really work, a little subtlety would have gone a long way.

This new play is comedy plus sexy spoof with some over-done ethnic humor added to the muddled mix. Lynn Antunovich delivers a badly exaggerated Bronx-Italian accent as the spinster-to-be, Rose Spinstarelli. Yes, the character names are part of the gimmick here. Luckily, she makes up in performing skills and body language what her character lacks in verbal aptitude. The other Italians, the doomed, cannot keep it in his pants Ray Mancracci (Garth T. Mark), and the soon to be wealthy widow, Florence (Natasha Piletich) do little to temper the lingo, but add a lot of the core comedy. Where then, one would wonder, does our lovable nympho Prudence (Kristin Stewart Chase) fit in? Well, she is more of a catalyst than a contributor.

Prudence creates the mess. The others clean it up. Upon receipt of the news that overseas boyfriend Cole is coming to visit the following day, dear Prudence gets so hot and bothered that she takes the opportunity to get some relief when Ray Mancracci comes along to do some repair work. Ray expires in the heat of passion, and all hell breaks lose. Prudence calls fuck-buddy Dick for help and advice about moving the body, roommate Rose calls the widow, an ex-neighbor, to break the news, and all is fixed in the world of DEAR PRUDENCE.

There are a lot of laughs along the way, but the script goes in too many directions to feel coherent. If it helps the potential theater-goer to decide about DEAR PRUDENCE, there is about a five minute topless/simulated sex scene in the very opening of the show.

- Kessa De Santis -

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