Soulstice Theatre rolls into autumn with a charming production of Richard Alfieri's two-person comedy Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks. The episodic comedy features two people getting to know each other over the course of six increasingly intimate meetings. The comedy's pleasant, low-key rhythm maintains likability from beginning to end.
Char Manny carries admirable warmth to the stage as a retired woman named Lily, who has paid for a six-week, six-session dance course in her home. Whatever she might have been expecting from the course likely did not involve a crass, middle-aged gay man coming to confront her in her home, but this is precisely what she has to contend with. The instructor is a charmingly confrontational man named Michael, played with endearing abrasiveness by Al Oldham. Michael's offbeat manners quite nearly get him kicked out of Lily's place.
That initial interaction, along with much of the first three or four lessons, feels slightly stiff, as though Manny and Oldham are only beginning to become acquainted with Lily and Michael. Once everything settles into place, Manny and Oldham render characters that are engrossing and likable in a very enjoyable production. Alfieri's characters don't display much depth, but the focus on the importance of human interaction is lovingly brought to the stage. Soulstice Theatre's production of Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks continues through Oct. 8. For ticket reservations, call 414-481-2800.
