Editor-at-Large
So you’re fabulous and single. You’re somewhere between 25 and 40, and that old biological clock is tick, tick, ticking away. You’ve been dating. You’ve been in multiple failed relationships. You’ve been dating some more. You’ve been fixed up by family and friends, and you’re still dating. The space on that special ring finger reserved for the coveted band of gold remains empty.
But, be of good cheer, as help may have arrived in the form of the world premiere of Cindy Lu’s unique one-woman play called The Four Man Plan: A Romantic Science, a comical romp on how to snag a man, skillfully directed by Paul Linke.
Wearing a lab coat, the delightful Lu takes the audience through a series of tutorials based on a formula she invented after realizing, “I sucked at love and had to create a logical approach.” Her guidelines include graphs, charts and theories with titles such as the “Wait for Sex Index,” “The Rule of Chuck,” “The Half Man Imperative” and “The Chick’s Chick Angle.” The main thrust is to date four men at a time until, by process of elimination, you select The One.
Lu’s performance is scripted and non-scripted, as she frequently breaks the fourth wall and interacts with the audience. She actually called for lines the night this reviewer saw the play, which the stage manager shouted out from back- stage. The transitions are seamless as she moves in and out of character as well as other characters – the most vivid one being the depiction of her mother.
I highly recommend this play to any woman who has ever been in a dating situation, but leave the guys at home as some of the graphic male body part references are for women’s eyes and ears only.
The Four Man Plan – A Romantic Science runs through September 30 at Ruskin Group Theatre, 3000 Airport Dr., at the Santa Monica Airport. Performances are at 8pm Fridays and Saturdays; tickets are $20, 310.397.3244 or www.ruskingrouptheatre.com. There will not be any performances over Labor Day weekend.
