A Review

Be Careful What You Wish For

By R. J. Donovan

Have you ever been at a crossroads, tempted by what you know to be wrong and undaunted by the magnitude of what's right? Then you'll understand the pivotal moment in "The Scene" when the main character, an out of work actor named Charlie, pauses for a split second at the edge of his emotional cliff. Does he walk out with the bimbo who's ruining his marriage, or does he stay with his wife? Staying will keep his life intact. Leaving will lead to destruction.

That one moment sums up "The Scene," Theresa Rebeck's very dark comedy playing at Lyric Stage Company of Boston through March 15. We are all accountable for our actions. No matter our level of happiness, fulfillment or disappointment, when the chips are down, we have to own our decisions. There's no gray area.

In a nutshell, Charlie is caught amidst the phony shimmer of New York show business and its self-involved Manhattan party circuit. The conversations are as vapid as the participants, yet they’re all soaring to new heights, both professional and chemical.

Charlie is married to Stella, a television producer, who's also disillusioned with her own place in the business world. But acknowledging her frustration is enough and she's able to manage it and move on.

Charlie, on the other hand, is not. He's of a certain age, he's not getting any work and he bristles at having to suck up to a hated colleague in an effort to win a small part in an upcoming TV pilot.

At a sky-high gathering overlooking Manhattan, he and his best friend Lewis meet a manipulating, young, blonde, party-gal. In her slinky black Ann Coulter cocktail garb, she knows everything and nothing. And Charlie sums her up as a brainless waste of air.

However, in time, he’s consumed by the shallow, skin-deep world of the users and takers she represents. And the momentary lapse in losing sight of his goals leads to his swirling downfall.

Jeremiah Kissel (above, left) is an emotional inferno as Charlie. Raging at the injustice of life, he spits out his emotions in fiery tirades that range from witty to frightening. You feel his anger even as you judge his actions.

Lewis, who’s not as fully developed a character as Charlie, is played by Barlow Adamson. Aside from his being Charlie’s friend, we don’t really get a handle on him. And when he delivers a shocking admission to Stella late in the play, it seems to come out of nowhere.

Stella, played by Julie Jirousek, is also a little blurry as defined by Rebeck. It’s unclear, from the material, just how genuine her hurt is from her husband’s infidelity. She and Charlie were in the middle of the adoption process when Charlie strayed, and her solution to the obstacle of applying as a single Mom may not be in sync with the intensity of her wounds as the wife scorned.

Making the plot sizzle is Georgia Lyman (at left, with Kissel) as Clea, the sex kitten without a soul. First appearing as not much more than a pretty air-head, just in from Ohio, who specializes in “up-speak” and the liberal use of the word “like,” she bares her teeth and becomes lethal once she’s got Charlie hanging from the end of her sword. The confrontation scene between Charlie, Clea and Stella almost takes your breath away.

Janie E. Howland’s set is a winner, anchored by a glass paneled wall that opens and swings and folds to define each location from chic apartments to skyscraper patios.

At the end of the night, “The Scene” is a dark, biting comedy that stands with a glaring mirror for those who choose to walk up and take a look.

"The Scene " is at Lyric Stage, 140 Clarendon Street in Boston, through March 15. For information, call 617-585-5678.

-- OnStage Boston