By Rebecca Weiler
The outrageous comedy “The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife” by Charles Busch, put on by the Douglaston−based Outrageous Fortune Company, is top−flight community theater.
The play examines the lives of a wealthy Jewish couple and the wife’s mother residing on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. Their sharp accents, bleak outlooks on life and large sums of food in almost every scene make them the archetypical New Yorkers that this city is legendary for.
The man of the house, Ira, is a caring allergist, who has recently retired and devotes all his free time tending to the homeless. Despite his success and altruism, he is thoroughly dominated by his wife.
Spencer Cohen, as Ira, balances the meeker side of the character with a sense of intelligence and thoughtfulness, making us aware that even though Ira is a pushover, he is no dummy. Cohen’s understated interpretation of the role brings humor to places where one would least expect it.
His domineering wife Marjorie, played by Vicki Klein, starts the show on a high and ends it even higher. Marjorie has done nothing with her life, and a downward spiral of depression leads to a cathartic Disney store figurine massacre.
Despite the character’s incessant complaining, Klein only lets us feel sorry for her for a second. The character Marjorie, in the best of circumstances, is a lonely, ungrateful downer in the midst of a mid−life crisis. Klein helps the audience see a glimmer of hope by adding a spicy flavor to the role by means of a Fran Drescher−like accent and pushy hand gestures to make her point.
It’s apparent that she gets this attitude from her mother, Frieda, played Barbara Goichman, who exhibits similar behavior. Goichman conquers the role of the barely functioning pessimist, who makes it her job to dish out Jewish guilt like thick extra gravy drowning a perfectly cooked turkey.
Goichman’s rendition of sensitive topics like health, the Holocaust and donating money to Israel is juxtaposed against her personal complaints. Goichman has the audience laughing hysterically at her straightforward lines, delivered in the most serious manner, between her inappropriately timed rants about constipated bowel movements and suppository pills.
Lee, Marjorie’s long−lost friend, shows up out of nowhere and claims to have lived the exciting life that Marjorie has only dreamed of. Lee boasts to have influenced every historical and cultural event that has occurred within the past several decades.
Sherry Mandery as Lee is seducing, charming and full of energy. Mandery leaves it up to the audience to decide whether or not she is telling the truth, and we didn’t believe a thing she said.
Hoji Fortuna played Mohammed, the trustworthy doorman. Fortuna approaches the role with the kindness and discretion that even the average co−op in New York City cannot afford.
The set for the play is outstanding. Luke T. Jones, set designer, created a space that on a small scale resembles a picture in a modern home magazine. Director Nick Brennan deserves credit for the interpretation of the story within this space.
The Outrageous Fortune Company’s production of “The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife” is a true find — believable and entertaining. The show ends this weekend with shows Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m. Tickets are reasonably priced at $22 in advance, $25 at the door. Call 718−428−2500 ext. 20 or 718−760−0064 for tickets.
For added convenience, there’s a complimentary shuttle outside the Mets−Willet Point subway stop to drive patrons to and from Queens Theatre in the Park.
More information about future productions by the company can be found at OutrageousFortuneCompany.com.
