School's Out

Billy Aronson had a cutesy idea for a sex farce. Take a couple of "helicopter parents" who blow off work on their kids' first day of school and give them the naughty notion of inviting other bored parents into their bedroom for a romp. That's the premise of this bit of fluff being done by Fort Worth's Amphibian Stage Productions. But a premise isn't enough to sustain an audience for a two-hour play--at least not a premise this thinly thought out. Instead of a door-slamming farce, Aronson's only achieved a long, drawn-out comedy sketch, one about as risque as something the old Carol Burnett Show might have resorted to. The Amphibian cast never jells. Their acting styles are all over the place and a couple of the women just look awkward and embarrassed. Imported New York actor Marshall York earns his laughs through physical gyrations in his first-act monologue as a cool dad explaining why he'd never consider an orgy. After the speech, he changes his mind. To add insult to injury, the arrangement of chairs in the Sanders Theatre is so tight for leg room it's like squeezing into a first-grade desk. No laughs and leg pain--thanks for the memories. Through July 25 at Fort Worth Community Arts Center, 1300 Gendy St., Fort Worth. 817-738-1938. Reviewed July 8. (E.L.)
Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Starts: July 8. Continues through July 25, 2010