'Brace of Lovers' Bizarre, Befuddling

By GLENN C. PULLEN

Some sort of a new record for befuddling, sick entertainment is established by "A Brace of Lovers," in Case Western Reserve University's Eldred Hail.

This bizarre program teams Harold Pintner's one-act ""The Lover" with John Hawkes' short "Wax Museum." Although described as ironic game-playing examples of the theater-of-the absurd, they evoke conflicting reactions.

BOTH PLAYS are pretentiously overloaded with symbolistic gimmicks. Some of the imagery is cynically amusing if you can dig it—in dealing with nymphomaniacs, adulterous wives, stupid husband and lesbians.

Most of the time the avant garde authors shoot too many blanks in striving for wierd effects. These fantasies struck me as being more vulgar than shocking and turgidly thin in wit.

"The Lover," used as a curtain-opener must be ranked as one of Pintner's lesser works. It is a somewhat sardonic fable about the proverbial stuffy big businessman who knows his frigid wife has had a lover for exactly 10 years and approves of the affair.

ONLY TWO grimy scenes stand out in this triangular sick play. Nothing happens unti; the husband discovers the secret of his rival's success in turning the wife into a sexpot.

Carla Fletcher portrays her as a tramp who is sexually aroused by African drum beats and some other erotic pagan rites. Her impersonation is blemished by a habit of speaking in such low tones that she cannot be heard half the time.

Arnold Johnson acts blandly until he becomes a roaring, indignant husband. Stephan Pepper adds a bit of thick travesty to his role of the roughneck lover.

HENRY KURTH'S fine, imaginative setting of a "Wax Museum" gives this draggy and sordid playlet more interest. Sheila Moir and Anna Held appear as a couple of crackpots who apparently fall in love with the wax dummy of a handsome Canadian Royal Mounted Policeman.

These fantastic scenes take an offensive twist when a brassy lesbian starts making bold passes at a timid, lonely virgin. Sheila's portrayal of the aggressor is done perhaps plausibly and Miss Held acts with the right timidness.

Both are guilty of projecting their lines inaudibly, as if they were ashamed of their roles. I don't blame them if they feel that way. Michael Birtwistle directs both playlets which have several double-cast roles at a deadly slow pace in "A Brace of Lovers." It will have performances tonight and tomorrow...