There's nothing more embarrassing than talking honestly to kids about sex, and sadly there's nothing that's more vital. Suzanne Bachner's comic drama Sex Ed examines the lives of students and cluelessness of teachers in a private school. Bachner is one of off-off-Broadway's playwrights to watch- her well-crafted plays always surprise and entIce The audience.
First up we meet the teachers, the nervous Dr. Vice (Bob Brader), the businesslike Ms. Guddell (Judy Krause), and Principal Shep Allen (Danny Wiseman), as they ham-handedly attempt to teach the audience of students about sex. The first half of the play alternates between bits of the lecture and scenes with three of the students- bad boy Stephen (Brader), nervous gay Evan (Wiseman), and excitable Pammy (Krause)- Stephen likes Pammy, Pammy likes Evan, and Evan likes Stephen, though none of them really understand their feelings or what they mean.
The second half is much darker, alternating scenes with the three students as Stephen gets them into the sub-basement of the school for some naughty play, and accusatory monologues from the teachers as to what exactly happened in that sub-basement. Kids can be so cruel, and these kids are no exceptions. The play takes no prisoners, whether it's lampooning the cluelessness of adults when it comes to teenage sexuality, or tackling the hard and fast shifting sexual concepts that teenagers will pick up and exploit.
The cast members are all great, impeccably inhabiting each of their two characters so well you nearly forget they're playing two roles. It's well-directed and designed by Adam David Steele. The play's a powerful and gripping piece that, at just under an hour, leaves you hungering for more.
The play is set in 1984, and a bitchin' period soundtrack accompanies the quick costume changes. Goodie bags of condoms and sex ed literature (courtesy of Planned Parenthood), candy, and discounts to erotic emporium "Come Again" were passed out at the end.
The show is part of John Chatterton's "Short Subjects (Continued)", where shorter plays from previous Midtown InterNational Theatre Festivals can be revived.
Sex Ed
By Suzanne Bachner
Directed by Adam David Steele
Produced by John Montgomery Theater Company
Where Eagles Dare Blackbird Studio
347 36th St., 13th Floor
Remaining performances, all at 7pm:
Wednesday, 9/23
Thursday 9/24
Monday 9/28
Wednesday, 9/30
photo credit: courtesy of JMTC
- The Teachers:Danny Wiseman, Judy Krause and Bob Brader.
- The Students: Danny Wiseman, Judy Krause and Bob Brader.
