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Fish in the Dark
by David Schultz This practically sold-out hit is the hottest ticket on Broadway right now. Ticket sales have reached over four million, and counting. Television writer and star Larry David is the reason this work has ever seen the light of day. Minions of his fans have gathered at the shrine of David to cheer him on. The creator of Seinfeld and writer and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mr. David knows a thing or two about comic timing and labyrinth plotting, so one would think that his first outing as playwright would be chock-a-block filled with delectable comic moments. Sadly this dreadful boulevard comedy arrives DOA. It definitely is third drawer material, something that seems musty from the get-go. The audiences are eating it up though, the sophomoric meter is in overdrive, the first scene is a verbal masturbation joke as it’s opening salvo. Norman Drexel (Mr. David) is a urinal salesman sitting watch at a hospital with his brother Arthur (Ben Shenkman). The patriarch of the family Sidney Drexel (Jerry Adler) has a serious heart condition, and is near death’s door. In quick sucession various family members rush to the hospital with both concern for the patient and other ulterior motives as well. Norman’s wife Brenda (Rita Wilson) comforts with little effect. Rose and Harry Kanter (Marylouise Burke, Kenneth Tigar) come zipping in the waiting room. Rose is Sidney’s overly nervous sister, arms flailing akimbo. Arthur has brought along his blonde bimbo date Michelle (Jenn Lyon) to the waiting room. Stewie Drexel (Lewis J. Stadlen), Sidney’s brother comes barreling into the waiting room. Other relatives including various grandchildren file in and out of the waiting area, as well as the family maid Fabiana Melendez (Rosie Perez). Rounding out this circus Gloria Drexel (Jane Houdyshell) wife of the dying patient comes into the scene. All this cacophony leads to the following deathbed scene in which Sidney in a dry raspy voice asks one final request…that one of the brothers makes sure that Gloria moves into their respective home…when he dies, he doesn’t want her to live alone. He looks at both sons separately, and seems to indicate to one of them, then the other, and asks him to fulfill his request. He pops off and dies, with no one in the room quite sure of whom he was speaking to. The following scenes follow laboriously from one wan comic moment to the next. The shiva scene soon follows with both brothers totally convinced that their father chose the other one to house their difficult mother. Director Anna D. Shapiro directs everyone in an overly effusive manner. It is a comedy of course. But the overly broad stroke she creates seems to make up for the hardly there plot. There are very few surprises within the play. The plot points to these developments that savvy theatergoers can see coming a mile away, so the surprises are dependant on how many episodes of Seinfeld or Curb that one has seen. I can’t help wondering why this faux Neil Simon, mid 60’s style divertissement flowed out of Mr. David’s intricate and talented mind.
This overly extended two hour Curb your Enthusiasm style play starts in semi-amusing spurts and lurches to each successive scene with none of the wit of its creator. So many truly talented Broadway actors are plying their craft in this creaky vehicle. None are put to good use and their talents are sadly wasted. Mr. David seems truly ill-at-ease with his role…. either shoving his hands in his pockets, walking around stiffly, or arching his back in a semi-circle, hands spread far and wide to the rafters. At least the people in the last row can see him clearly. What works perfectly in a short half hour timeslot seems to be totally over stretched and distorted into an unending parade of histrionic performances. The oversaturated harsh lighting (Brian Macdevitt) is operating room bright, and brings no subtle shadings to the piece. Scenic Designer Todd Rosenthal creates a perfect sitcom-ish living space for the performers to bounce off of. None of this really matters…the people have spoken. The folks are lining up in droves for this ultimate comfort-food-piffle with the added bonus of seeing Mr. David in the flesh. I wonder what his next play’s title might be? “Laughing all the way to the bank”? Cort
Theatre 
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