Sexual Perversity in Chicago,one of David Mamet's earliest works for the stage, was way ahead of its time. Debuting in the mid-1970s, the play's frank discussion of sex, romance and male/female relations is delivered with the kind of humor that would later show up in premium cable shows like Sex and the City. The play now finds itself in Milwaukee (through July 26) at the Alchemist Theatre.
The plot outlines an all-too-brief romance between Dan (Ken Dillon) and Deb (Beth Lewinski), two young professionals living in Chicago. Dan and Deb's relationship is contrasted against their friendships with Joan (Desiree Gibson), an intellectual who works with children, and Bernie (Kirk Thomsen), a misogynistic jerk who works in Dan's office.
Dillon and Lewinski provide real chemistry together, managing to pull complex and textured performances out of a relatively simple script. Nice guy Thomsen brings a loveable yet uncomfortable sleaziness to the stage as Bernie. Gibson is brilliant as a somewhat vain intellectual who is so liberal she comes across as tight and conservative. The staccato manner of Mamet's script feels slightly clunky as scenes change from one location to the next, but the rhythm between scenes is aided immeasurably by stylish videos that lessen the impact of the production's only major flaw.
