An engaged couple, their crazy ex-lovers, and dialogue enacted almost entirely though double entendre and word play: certainly not the formula for “married bliss.” Instead, this recipe concocts “Marred Bliss,” a theater classroom directed by Nathaniel Flagg ’07. “Marred Bliss,” a play on words itself, is an extended scene that strips its characters dialogue down to their true feelings. Though at first, the audience may wonder if the actors are plagued by poor word choice, as soon as the husband-to-be thanks his wife’s ex-boyfriend with a “Rank you very much,” it is apparent that the lines contain precise word choice that unveils and illuminates each actor’s thoughts in a witty and humorous way. The male of the engaged couple, Dirk, was played by Dan Adamsky ’06. Adamsky played his character as quick tempered, yet shy, which worked well throughout the play. He switched quickly and with ease from the tense confrontations with Jeery, his wife’s ex-, to the sentimental moments with his wife, Jane. Overall, Adamasky was successful in highlighting both wit and humor in his lines. He made the audience chuckle with a mere upturn of one eyebrow, a look he often shot the three other actors. Lilli Stein ’07 played Jane, Dirk’s wife. She struck an insightful balance between an uptight, conservative homemaker and an adventurous fiancée. Stein’s command of the stage was commendable as she engaged the other actors, speaking clearly and reacting with her entire body. Jeery, played by Missy Comeau ’05, was the “slouchy, sexy sailor,” a role Comeau grasped surprisingly well. Arguably, hers was the most difficult task in the show, as she had to battle the confusing innuendos of the script in the shoes of the opposite gender. However, Comeau handled Jeery quite well, slugging around the stage with wide steps and a deep voice. She gave a solid performance. Last to enter the scene was Dirk’s girlfriend, Alas, played by Alisha Varma ’07. She played Alas as a seductive, cruel woman. Director Flagg commented, “I thought Alisha’s performance was particularly stunning because she played a Cruella DeVille-type character, who is so opposite of who Alisha is-she’s so sweet.” Though the cast only had one week to rehearse, the entire performance was incredibly polished. Flagg commented, “I loved the cast I chose, because each of them had such a wonderful grasp on the innuendos of the show, but could also really help the audience follow the plot.” Indeed, the actors’ skill helped the onlookers not get lost in the words. Marred Bliss, was far from marred; the production was successful in entertaining its audience with an intellectual tango of double entendre dance steps.
