Three Guys, a Girl, and Pizza Place Basement...

We were just nuts about Emily Duarte Rosenthal as Jennifer, the long-suffering barmaid and sole female of the four friends, who provided a much-needed tart kick in the pants to the other three characters' self-indulgent ruminations on relationships and women. She was everything the part needed - jaded yet sweet, long-suffering but never a victim, hilarious but never self-deprecating. Here's to more actors and characters like hers!

We also loved Ryan Montgomery, who not only directed by played dense and self-absorbed Nick, a man who justified his constant return to an unfulfilling relationship by a haunting dream about a light factory. Nick was the best drawn and most real of all the characters, and we waited eagerly for the story to get back to his romantic disasters. Montgomery has a Liev Schreiber quality that made him perfect for this character, and we'll definitely be looking for him in future roles.

We were perplexed by the direction taken by Greg Ayres in the character of Christopher (or Baby Boy, as which he was sometimes referred). As written, the character is frustrated by contemporary relationships, pining instead for a simpler time when we could all just "be", without games or manipulation. He's disconcerted by a somewhat loony, sexually aggressive woman (a very funny and brave Jessica Viola), and is thrilled to meet virginal (or is she?) Nicole Socia as Allison. However, the decision to have the Christopher character adopt several stereotypical gay mannerisms, such as an over-dramatic and breathy delivery, queeny hand gestures, and a general sissy-boy stance, distracted this audience member from the very real problem of how hard it is to find a real and honest relationship. Instead, we wondered why no one suggested to him that he start dating men, as the character of Christopher seems super gay.

Steven Epperson is also presented with an intriguing challenge in his role as Tommy, the caustic a**hole of the group. It's he who makes the rather clich�d and tired statement that every woman can be classified as a virgin or a whore (and that men prefer things this way), and when Jennifer challenges this, goes to disturbing lengths to prove his point. We wondered how, as an actor, you make a character who seems happy to manipulate all the characters for his amusement a likable character, and we give Epperson props for trying, but we feel that the script lets him down. Tommy's attempts to redeem himself at the end of the play seem too little, too late.

There's so much fresh and funny dialogue in this show that we forget the slim plot, dated thesis of the virgin/whore dilemma (yes, we know some men think this way, but we got over that in high school), and the implied but difficult-to-believe final romantic pairing of two of the characters. The actors all rise to the challenge admirably, with even the smallest roles (this is the part where we mention Klahr Thorsen's brilliant and knowing Lindsey, and her marvelous calves) sizzling admirably. And technically we were blown away by the great way Impact has risen to the unique challenges presented by performing in the basement of La Val's Pizza, the low-ceilings and ambient noise of which were perfect for this production (special recognition is due to the sound design, which was as important as the sets in creating the respective spaces in which the action occurred).

As we mentioned earlier, a member of the SFist staff is deeply involved with the production, but that�s not why we�re recommending Fluffy Bunnies. We�re recommending you go because it�s a fun, thought provocative night for anyone who hates or loves theater. The kids at Impact are onto something great, and we�re glad we got to see it.

Impact Theater presents:
Fluffy Bunnies in a Field of Daisies
Written by Matt Chaffee
Directed by Ryan Montgomery
Through October 2, 2004
Thursdays-Saturdays 8pm
La Val's Subterranean, 1834 Euclid in Berkeley
All Thursday performances are pay-what-you-wish, all other nights $15 general, $10 students/seniors/TBA members
Call 510 464-4468 for reservations.