Saturday was my first Rep play in a really long while. I had donated the last 2 plays's tickets back to the Milwaukee Rep last year since they had to cancel the end of their season. Theaters everywhere were suffering due to the pandemic as productions had to be cancelled. No plays, no income.
The Arkansas Rep was no different but this season they are providing their subscribers with 3 plays. Their season opener is Designing Women.
You remember this 1990's TV sitcom which took place in Atlanta with feisty interior designer Julia Sugarbaker, her sister Suzanne Sugarbaker, Mary Jo Shively and Charlene Frazier espouting feminist politics.
Its creator and writer Arkansan Linda Bloodworth-Thomason picked up the almighty pen again and gave her characters a remake fast forwarding them into the 21st Century to our pandemic world, filled with political derision and financial woes of small businesses.
These 2020's women use a lot of strong language and sexual innuendo... actually the sexual references are pretty straight forward. I do admit laughing a lot.
But truth be told by the second act it was overkill. I will compare it to how prepubescent boys overuse potty mouth. The atmosphere in the theater became uncomfortable. I felt for the religious right and even those on the other side of politics.
Yes, humor has its prey but perhaps a small dose would do just as well...
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