High

        The last show I saw this past week, and subsequently the best (though that's like whether you'd rather drink water from the toilette or eat out of the garbage) was High. This play by Matthew Lombardo starred Kathleen Turner as a nun who helps Catholics fight addiction. When she is brought the case of a 19 year old boy who is the heaviest drug user the religious rehab center has ever had, it rocks both of their worlds. Sounds good no? Well, it was alright.

     It starts out quite strong actually. Kathleen Turner exudes charm, wit, and gravitas as Sister Jamie, and her opening monologue is great, though not because it is well written. It's wonderful because SHE is wonderful and is elevating the material to a higher place, (nice pun, eh?). The writing throughout the first act is uneven. There are moments that are quite exciting, but the play over all follows the formula of every drug rehab story out there. The kid does drugs cuz he had a nasty child hood. The nun is able to help him because she too is an addict, and therefore they have a connection that will allow them to help each other.

  There are very few surprises through the play. Most everything is predictable before it gets revealed. The second act is nearly unbearable. It all becomes too much. The kids tragic story becomes ridiculously tragic, and Sister Jamie's reasons for becoming an Alcoholic, being homeless, and then becoming a nun are also ridiculously tragic, too much so. The act I nude scene was one of the best moments of the show, but only because the kid has an expectedly huge penis. (huge!)

   Kathleen Turner comes out on top however. She gives a Tony worthy performance as Sister Jamie. She luxuriates every word she has been given to say. Her portrayal is genuine and honest, and also very, very funny. Her deep, sultry voice only adds to the voracity of the character. One of my favorite lines from the show is when the boy says "Shouldn't I be speaking to another dude" and Sister Jamie Replies "That is usually the case, so that patients do not act on any feelings they might develop for their sponsors, however, seeing as you are an active homosexual and I am a nun, I don't see us fucking anytime soon". Yes, Sister Jamie has a cursing problem. When she got sober her sponsor agreed that it was better to "fight the addiction that was killing her, rather than the one that was impolite parlor conversation".

     This play probably could have benefited from another set of eyes. The second act is really where all the trouble lies. There is just too much going on and the ending is highly unsatisfying. Also the boy playing the drug addict is giving a very one dimensional performance. It's all moot because it closed after only 8 performances. Was it really that bad to have only played a week? No, it deserved to run longer, however, it's playing in a season filled with plays that are exceptional, both new and revived. Good People, Arcadia, The Importance of Being Earnest, to name a few. High just didn't pass the bar.