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THE DAVID DANCE

nytheatre.com review by John Jordan
August 15, 2003

Via well-written flashbacks and fascinating transitions which take the audience from present to past and back again, The David Dance tells the beautiful story of the relationship between a whiny, insecure gay man and his more "worldly" older sister. David Patrone is the host of "Gay Talk," a local radio show in Buffalo. His sister, Kate, is a successful banker, married and divorced three times and preparing to adopt a 10-year-old Brazilian orphan. The play opens after Kate's unexpected death, en route to meet her new daughter. David has lost his sister, his job and is about to lose his boyfriend. The outcome is a bit predictable, but the journey to that end is more than worthwhile. Teresa Kelsey is outstanding as Kate, providing a well-rounded performance as a caring, fun and sincere older sister. With great comic timing and subtle humor, she helps ease the uncomfortable tension of the more melodramatic moments in the play, and, at the same time, handles the "drama" with a polished grace. James Bozer is also very adept at his role of David's boyfriend, Chris. Bozer shows off his range extremely well, mostly underplaying moments, which only makes them stronger. Monica Steuer is very convincing as June Handly, the anti-homosexual, Jesus-loving radio host whom David confronts on the air. In brilliant contrast, Steuer also portrays a nun and Mrs. Paradowski, the Head of Pediatrics at a local Buffalo hospital. Chloe Glickman is delightful and mesmerizing as Margaret, the Portuguese-speaking orphan with a rough past who shuts herself off from the rest of the world. Don Scime wrote the play and stars as David. He does a capable job as the protagonist, but takes the character a pinch over the melodramatic line at times. He has written a wonderful play. The direction by Karen Case Cook is very solid. The transitions between flashbacks are flawless. The set is simple, the sound design matches the overall mood perfectly. Overall, The David Dance is a nice slice of life. Grab a piece while you can.