A stellar cast, smart script, and hilarious material make a successful therapy session in Frank Strausser’s Psycho Therapy now playing at the Cherry Lane Theatre. A clever and witty take on couples therapy reveals unexpected twists and turns which leaves the audience refreshed and ready to tackle their own relationship crises.
When Lily’s devoted boyfriend, Philip, doesn’t show up for couples therapy, Dorian (the young, hot, on-again-off-again-go-to-boyfriend) comes in his stead. A sexually heated therapy session reveals the couple’s relationship unbeknownst to therapist, Nancy Winston (played competently by Jan Leslie Harding). At the next session, devoted boyfriend, Philip actually shows up and interrupts the current session with hot boyfriend, Dorian who is pretending to be Philip, and so begins an honest, hilarious, and sometimes heated revelation of love, lies, and possible loss, all on the couch of a crazy therapist who has multiple issues of her own. Great comedic timing and clever scenes make Psycho Therapy a fun, light-hearted play.
Jan Leslie Harding (“Nancy”) plays the hilarious money-hungry, chocolate-consumed, answering machine-obsessed therapist who could definitely benefit from some therapy of her own while trying to make sense of this awkward love triangle. Angelica Page is “Lily,” the confused, whiny girlfriend who can’t decide between two men. A convincing performance by Page, who has excellent voice inflections, telling facial expressions and undeniable chemistry with Dorian (played by Jeffrey Carlson) to gain sympathy from the audience.
Jeffrey Carlson plays the charming, charismatic, and laid back Dorian who enjoys spending $200 an hour pretending to be Phillip, which seems to serve as an aphrodisiac with Lily. Laurence Lau is spot-on in his portrayal of the “real” Phillip, a confused and passionate, yet frustrated and lovesick man who tries desperately to win the heart of Lily.
Set design by Michael V. Moore included two sets of doors that were used to enter one room downstage and into another upstage. Although this allowed for two scenarios to be played simultaneously, the constant slamming of doors was a little bothersome after a while.
A stellar cast, outstanding direction, and hilarious comedy make Psycho Therapy at the Cherry Lane Theatre a must-see. Whenever you assemble two men vying for the same woman as they face off on an obsessive therapist’s couch, you’re in for a real treat... or you may need some therapy of your own.
Performances of PSYCHO THERAPY run through February 25 on a schedule of Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00pm; Saturdays at 3:00pm and 8:00pm and Sundays at 3:00pm and 7:00pm. Tickets for PSYCHO THERAPY are $66 and can be purchased by calling 212-352-3101 or online at www.psychotherapytheplay.com. There will be $20 student rush tickets at the theatre prior to each performance.
Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg
