Tom, Dick & Harry (second review)

Playwright: Langille MacGregor
Director: Byron McKim
Cast: Risa Cohen, Adrian Gorrissen, Scott Garland, Anthony Rella, Cynthia Galant

Review by: Steven Spriensma

Ignore the rather blasé title and whatever vague things it could mean- Tom, Dick & Harry is a funny, smart, 21^st century play that tackles its complex subject matter- gay adoption and surrogate pregnancy- with heart, aplomb, and more alcohol than an episode of Mad Men.

Two factors make T,D&H an effective show: its simplicity on stage and the comedic sensibilities of the actors. The characters work extremely well together, and it’s a testament to the cast that they take the complexity of the relationships and make them feel natural and progressive. The couple of Dick and Harry (played by Adrian Gorrissen and Scott Garland respectively) don’t have the representational problems that a lot of fictional gay couples in media have, specifically that they are together and ‘in love’ but don’t actually do anything to prove to the audience that they actually have any affection for each other (I’m looking your way, Modern Family). Risa Cohen and Anthony Reilla work incredible together as a couple mismatched by age, Cohen the 35 year old getting her groove back (nobody uses that phrase, don’t worry) and Reilla the young grad student happy to help. Reilla comes through with a character that shows real depth, and it takes you by surprise right when you think you’ve got him figured out.

Though the play takes a rather dark turn, T,D&H doesn’t shift tonally; it stays as relaxed and witty through the darker moments. Part of this is Risa Cohen’s narrative soliloquies, which break up the tension and keep the temper of the show from getting too bogged down in emotion. Apart from the rather baffling ending, it’s a very emotionally consistent show, and consistently hilarious.

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