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by Aynn Kilburger Titchenal

From the first swing number to the last slow dance, Emerald City Players’ production of Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks by Richard Alfieri is a delightfully poignant testament to the idea that love can dance its way into one’s life even when it’s least expected.

In this internationally popular play, Lily Harrison (Kathy Sturm), a woman of a certain age, with a certain style and a formidable character hires Michael Minetti (Mark Schuliger), an acerbic young dance instructor with an obvious bias to give her a private dance lesson once a week for six weeks in her beachfront condo. As age and attitude meet bravado and brashness, it appears that Lily’s dancing lessons are destined to be a crash course. But what begins antagonistically blossoms into friendship, fondness, and – can they say it? – love. As they swirl, slide, and stomp through a medley of moves, Michael and Lily alternately come close and pull apart, eventually seeing past their differences in order to uncover their highly unlikely but profound connection.

Predictability with punch

It takes good performances to keep an audience’s attention, even better ones when there are only two of you on stage, but Sturm and Schuliger, deftly guided by Director Christopher Hallam, make it seem effortless. Their interplay is charmingly sweet and salty, with the crispness needed to create captivating entertainment from a simple and predictable story line.

The set, designed by Sturm, is quintessentially “Floridian,” replete with wicker furniture, potted pants, and framed photographs of windswept scenery. Original dance music by Dane Terry teams with Steven Tyler Knauff’s well-choreographed “lessons” to add genuine realism. Good lighting by Tony Love and his team allow the single room setting to pass from daytime to evening with aplomb. And, while five scene changes in two acts could have slowed the pace considerably, they didn’t, thanks to good planning and smooth stepping by the production crew of Jennifer Carpenter, Barbara Lubberger, and John Lopez.

In fact, only two distractions were noted in the entire production – and they are minor. One is that some of the off-stage dialogue will be difficult for some people to hear clearly. The other is the nearly glow-in-the-dark “window” commanding upstage center. This oversized white rectangle could use some clouds painted on it, or at least a softer shade of white.

Style with substance

While giving the audience a warmly humorous – sometimes laugh-out-loud funny – show, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks touches, albeit appropriately lightly, on a few of contemporary society’s serious concerns: ageism, intolerance, and the isolation of the unmarried in a “couples” culture. There’s also a nice little bonus enclosed in every program.

Emerald City Players presents Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks now through March 14 at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 14. This two-week schedule with another Thursday performance is a departure from their norm, so if you are usually a final-weekend viewer, take note! Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students/seniors. Call 614- 210-1111 or visit www.emeraldcityplayers.com.
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Aynn Kilburger Titchenal has been a professional writer for over 30 years, during which time, in addition to her “day job,” she has reviewed books and movies for the Vail Trail and restaurants for Ohio magazine.She’s been seen on stage with Bread & Circus Theatre since 2007 and will make her directorial debut with that troupe in June

Woman: Kathy Sturm Man: Mark Schuliger (Photographer: Dale Bush)

by Bob Weesner

Okay. Let’s start with the punch line. The Emerald City Players production of Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks is the funniest two person play I’ve ever seen in my life.

Having said that, if the people on play selection up in Dublin had asked me, I would have told them – straight out – “don’t do this play.” That’s what I would have said.

“Why not,” they would have asked. (Or likely would have asked. They’re a polite bunch. Respectful.)

“Because,” I would have pounced, “it will never work. Never ever. There are only two people in the cast – two! Where are you gonna find two people in this town who can pull that off? And it deals with intolerance and acceptance! When was the last time you saw a funny play about intolerance and acceptance?”

In my mind I could see them squirming. I had them and they knew it.

And then I would have gone straight for the throat. “Nobody’s gonna come see it. If you want audiences, do something by Neil Simon, or - better yet – Richard Rogers. That’s it! Or something with lots of kids. I think Annie Five is available …”

They didn’t listen to me. In fact, they didn’t even ask me. This conversation never happened.

But it illustrates two points.

First, it’s true that Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks will likely not draw large audiences. The show is not that well known by the general public. It does have a cast of only two people, and both of them are (a) not young, and (b) dressed throughout the production. Since the play deals with adult themes, it has adult language.

In other words, this play has everything in the world working against it as a community theatre presentation. Many times I’ve been told that these theatres can’t afford to speculate. Wistfully I’ve heard that they must stick with the proven money makers. It’s a matter of survival.

The second point is the colossal loss to the quality of life there would be if we chose not to embrace a play like this when it comes along.

Here’s what we would have missed;

We would have missed a marvelously well written work – it is at the same time warm, zany, funny, biting, and endlessly inventive. Very few topics are sacred – literally.

We would have missed two incredible performances. Kathy Strum and Mark Schuliger compliment each other perfectly. The chemistry between them is remarkable. At every moment you know you are in most capable hands.

Characterizations are strong, clear, and sustained. Actions are motivated and reactions are endearing. And as for energy levels … could two people actually sustain the necessary energy levels to keep a play interesting for a two hour period? Hint. The energy levels were still going up during the curtain calls.

Final thought. A number of plays are all being presented this weekend, all over town. Even with your best guess, every once in awhile a great one slips by, unnoticed. Don’t let Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks be one of them.

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For most of his career, Bob was employed as a television director, working for stations from Los Angeles to Columbus. During this same time period he wrote and directed plays for theatres all over the Midwest. For several years he was the drama critic for the Spectator newspaper chain and for channel 6 here in Columbus. Bob has won numerous awards, including two Emmy awards, A Freedom’s foundation award, and two recent awards from the National Writers Digest Playwriting Competition.