Theater review: ‘C—k’  opens Off-Broadw...

Theater review: ‘Câ€"k’   opens Off-Broadw...

Joan Marcus

‘Câ€"k’ features Jason Butler Harner (l.), Amanda Quaid and Cory Michael Smith.

The name of Mike Bartletts Olivier Award-winning drama rhymes with shock.

Thats exactly what the title C-k is meant to do. But theres nothing so audacious about the actual play, a riff on a romantic triangle about sexual identity. Its a punchy 90 minutes, but not as provocative as it wants to be.

The action revolves around John (Cory Michael Smith), the only character with a name. Its ironic, since Johns cluelessness about who he is causes heartache for him and two people who love him.

One of them is his longtime boyfriend M (Jason Butler Harner), a broker whos very pleased with himself and pretty nasty toward the younger and more handsome John.

The other is W (Amanda Quaid), a divorced classroom assistant John sleeps with and to his amazement falls for.

Johns Torn Between Two Lovers" situation climaxes at an awkward dinner party, where M has invited his gay-friendly and supportive dad, F (Cotter Smith). Over beef and red wine, M and W insist that John pick one of them.

Good luck with that. Whiny, self-obsessed John is so irritatingly unsure of everything that the queries Coffee or tea? and Chicken or fish? could send him around the bend.

Which seems to be Bartletts point. Gay? Straight? Pansexual? Who cares? Its indecision about what makes you tick that creates a world of hurt.

The uniformly fine cast and director James Macdonalds smart production showcase Bartletts dialogue to the max.

Per the authors note, theres no scenery or props, just raw language. Scenes, which start and end with a ping, unfold on a circular stage surrounded by wooden benches. As characters circle each other, its like gladiators or fighting cocks squaring off.

Its fitting that M removes his watch at the top of the show a death match is about to commence.

Ultimately, the play lacks needed details and emotional depth that would make the story draw blood or even leave a bruise. Youre like a picture drawn with a pencil, W tells John. You havent been colored in.

Same goes for Ck.

It wants to shake up perceptions of sexuality and choices. But this triangular tale ends up going in circles.