‘Apartment’ has
love’s awkwardness
Annie Wilson flees the humiliating memories of a failed relationship by moving to a new apartment but soon finds herself facing new entanglements. Her handsome neighbor, Donald Peterson, is a perfect gentleman who quickly makes it clear that he wants to be a friend rather than a lover. Her unimpressive co-worker, Elliot Brown, sees Annie's new single status as his opportunity to make their relationship more than platonic and doesn't seem able to take "No" for an answer. What's a girl to do?
Clara Ann Chorley (Annie), Gene DeFrancis (Donald) and Jared Jeffries (Elliot) star in Manoa Valley Theatre's production of "Apartment 3A," actor-playwright Jeff Daniels' quirky and delightfully unpredictable look at the often uncertain balance between acquaintance, friendship and love. Bob McGregor (Tony) and Marc Munasque (Dal) complete the cast in secondary roles: Tony works with Annie and Elliot at the local public television station; Dal is her new landlord.
"Apartment 3A": Presented by Manoa Valley Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 4 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 7. Tickets are $25, with discounts available for seniors, military and 25 and younger. Call: 988-6131.
Two important characters remain unseen. Larry, a bigwig at the station, is the type of leader who is quick to assign blame when things go wrong and just as quick to take credit for his subordinates' accomplishments. Richard is Annie's ex-boyfriend. He shattered her dreams when she came home unexpectedly and found him having sex on her grandmother's table. No wonder she's slow on the rebound!
The story takes a while to get rolling but gradually connects. Daniels' finesse as a writer is seen in his judicious references to a particular sexual position and a PBS special on the mating habits of Siberian polar bears. Neither is used excessively. The polar bear special provides a recurring theme for jokes about sexual technique and the typical public television fare.
Daniels also gently spoofs PBS fund raising. Annie is forced to ad-lib an appeal for donations and ends up telling the young viewers of "Sesame Street" that Big Bird will die if their parents don't send money immediately!
Jeffries makes a brilliant stage debut as a man so desperately determined to win Annie that he comes off as a total dweeb; any man who has found himself in a similar situation will instantly relate. His physical performance and stumbling self-conscious delivery is a show in itself. Jeffries' movements become awkward and mechanical whenever he approaches Chorley, and he plays perfectly as a man almost too afraid to ask a woman for a lunch date -- and too focused on his objective to notice that she's not interested.
Or so she thinks! Donald persuades Annie to have lunch with Elliot, and their rambling, fumbling conversation perfectly captures the awkwardness of a first date.
Jeffries outdoes himself after intermission. It turns out that Annie agreed to have sex with Elliot, and their encounter was not only "perfect," but so physically rigorous that Elliot twisted a knee and dislocated his shoulder! Elliot can barely stand but tries to convince Annie that nothing's wrong. He's fine, the sex was perfect and he doesn't mind at all that she called him "Donald."
Yes, Donald! DeFrancis establishes his importance in the story and plays the role of mysterious confidant with believable sensitivity and style. Donald becomes so much a part of Annie's life that she tells him everything -- and even "sees" him during her sexual trysts with Elliot. Is Donald gay? No, he's married and waiting for his wife to return from Rome. Are his intentions towards Annie as pure, and his marriage as perfect, as he claims? Therein lies an intriguing subplot.
Chorley, another first-time stage actor, is a serviceable heroine despite a distracting non-American accent that remains unexplained.
Joseph D. Dodd (set) and Jason Taglianetti (sound) provide the other important elements in the production. Dodd suggests the layout of Annie's apartment with empty door frames and low walls of cardboard boxes that she's hasn't yet unpacked.
Taglianetti contributes to the sense of time and place with appropriate music in some scenes and environmental noise in others.
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