Elaine May's three one acts under the heading After the Night and the Music provides an evening of light entertainment with a strong, sparkling cast, headed by the incomparable Jeannie Berlin whose behavior nuances, quirks and comic timing are fascinating, funny and unique. The rest of the cast includes some of the best in town, including J. Smith-Cameron and the startlingly adept, agile Eddie Korbich, a mouse who roars, in a marvelous duo in "Curtain Raiser." Second is "Giving up Smoking," a mix of engaging and overdrawn about lonely people, friendship, and the frustrations of dating.
Berlin is funny, Jere Burns is touching, Brian Kerwin is crass and insecure, and Smith-Cameron is radiant as a dying woman. The third play, "Swing time," about two couples, old friends, who decide to have group sex, is a farce featuring the same foursome in a stage full of neuroses. It's full of jokes, and once again Berlin is funny and engaging whether the material is or not, and Smith-Cameron provides the guts, the soul. She's amazing.
This is an evening of light comedy by a talented cast, directed with a deft touch by Daniel Sullivan, with a super design team: John Lee Beatty (set) and Michael Krass (costumes). We had a good time.
