THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT

by BILL MANHOFF
Directed by TYLER ONASSIS

January 26 and 28, February 2 and 4, 2015

Producers Club Royal Theatre
358 W. 44th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues
Tickets: (800) 838-3006 or www.brownpapertickets.com


Cast
Doris – Leila McCann
Felix – Joseph Spinelli

Bill Manhoff’s THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT is billed as a classic comedy, but it is difficult to see how either label fits this particular play, or to imagine that this work ran to acclaim when it first appeared on Broadway in 1964 (starring Diana Sands and Alan Alda). There is very little humor in the production, and rather than having a timeless quality, the writing and the premise feel dated and strained.

The set-up for THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT is the unlikely pairing of model/actress and sometimes prostitute Doris, and bookstore employee/struggling writer Felix. After getting Doris kicked out of her apartment by reporting her illicit activities to her landlord, Felix wakes to find an angry Doris banging on the door. She ends up spending the night, and a tumultuous relationship begins. In spite of Felix’s repeated demands that he wants her to go, Doris refuses to leave. When she eventually does move on, Felix seemingly becomes an unstable wreck and an alcoholic overnight, and the two continue to enter and leave each other’s lives.

Hearing the lines as delivered by the actors, there is no spark to explain why these two are together, or why anyone in the audience should care. There is clearly potential in the words for wit and banter, but that unfortunately too often comes across as rancor and cynicism. Felix’s moral righteousness and verbal venom are tedious, and Doris’ willingness to be degraded by him, certainly meant to be played to show her intelligence and ability to manipulate him, never quite rise to the level where the character seems much more than his doormat.

The venue did not aid in the success of this production of THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT. Aside from loud noise emanating from an adjacent space, the limited backstage area, really just a space behind a curtain against the back wall, was not fully blocked, so shadows of actors between scenes were visible. On at least one occasion cast or crew conversation was audible from the audience, and it was clear that the actors were having trouble navigating the space every time the lights were lowered. Adding to that, the temperature inside the Royal Theatre at the Producers Club was so cold that nearly everyone in the audience wore their coats for the entirety of the evening. No one seemed to be in much of a laughing mood, even the few times there was something on stage that warranted it.

- Kessa De Santis -