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Too Much Sun
By Joel Benjamin Even though Too Much Sun isn’t one of Nicky Silver’s best efforts, it has so much going for it that it’s easy to overlook its faults. He’s been given a superb production, starring his “muse,” Linda Lavin in another role rich in bitchiness. Add to that a first rate cast and nuanced direction by Mark Brokaw. Too Much Sun is entertaining and moving in equal measures, if a bit exhausting in its romantic/sexual twists and turns. The Vineyard Theatre clearly loves this guy for good reason: Nicky Silver has a literate wit and a gleefully campy sense of humor. Too Much Sun begins with a hilarious glimpse of an over-the-top production of Medea, starring a slightly long in the tooth Audrey Langham (Linda Lavin) who has clearly had it up to here with the show, its director and producer. She skips out on Medea to hide out on Cape Cod with her daughter Kitty (Jennifer Westfeldt), a high school teacher. Kitty’s marriage to Dennis (Ken Barnett), a frustrated writer, is beginning to fray and Audrey’s presence doesn’t help. Next door neighbors Lucas (Matt Dickson), an at-sea twenty-something and his rich, handsome, widowed dad, Winston (Richard Bekins), intrude, eventually becoming romantic fodder for Dennis and Audrey, respectively. Then Gil (Matt Dellapina), an emissary from the Chicago producer whom Audrey has left in the lurch, gets caught up in the internecine emotional struggles of the two households, in turn revealing his own oddball ambitions. Though the disparate elements of Too Much Sun give the impression of having been arbitrarily thrown together and the play never gels into a satisfying whole, each character is wonderfully written. Gil appears to be the comic relief, while Lucas is the clichéd disturbed boy/man whose past traumatic experiences lead to a heavy handed melodramatic twist in the plot. Each character is dissatisfied in a hackneyed way: guilt, loneliness, professional burn out, etc. There’s no organic reason for their being together except for the whims of the playwright. Despite this, each character is well served by the prolific Silver and is acted by a top notch cast.
Jennifer Westfeldt has a granite-like façade. Watching her crumble, shard by shard, is wonderful to behold. Ken Barnett has to play two personas, one when he’s with his wife and one when he’s with Lucas, and he handles it beautifully, until he, too, falls apart. Matt Dellapina plays the nerdy, but bright Gil with a depth that often isn’t in the writing. His eyes are sad until he frees himself from his emotional burdens. Richard Bekins is perfectly cast as the suave, impeccable Winston whose life is changed by meeting Audrey. He finds a way of letting us feel for him despite his cool composure. As Lucas, Matt Dickson does his best to avoid being annoying, but eventually fails. It’s difficult to empathize with a spoiled, self-centered, emotionally bruised gay guy with every material advantage. It’s to Mr. Dickson’s credit that he nearly succeeds, but the adolescent whining of the part finally does him in. Linda Lavin is the rare actress who can make an audience see beneath a façade of hauteur. She takes command of the stage without overwhelming the other actors, helped by a nimbly written part with just the right amount of back story: revelations of poverty, multiple husbands, maternal ineptitude and professional desperation. Donyale Werle’s set is extravagantly wonderful while Michael Krass’ costumes capture each character, from Audrey’s chic outfits, always topped with colorful shawls to Winston’s slightly uptight, waspy outfits. Too Much Sun (through June 22nd, 2014) Gertrude and Irving Dimson Theatre Vineyard Theatre 108 East 15th St. between Union Sq. East & Irving Place New York, NY Tickets and Information: 212-353-0303 or www.vineyardtheatre.org Running time: 2 hours 
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