Lots and lots of 'Sex' finally comes to Stiles

Okay, so maybe the title is a little misleading. There isn't really all that much sex in the play. In fact, the title of Everyone Has Lots and Lots of Sex (EHLLS) comes from a children's movie name suggested by one of the characters. Despite its lack of sex, however, this new play remains an extremely enjoyable production.

TANYA PALOMO/YH "So, would you like to have lots and lots of sex on top of these shelves?"

EHLLS, written by Jonathan Bern-stein, ES '01, is one of those shows in which the characters always say the oddest things possible, creating a dialogue that is sometimes troubling and always amusing. Although at first this may seem unnatural, the characters are so interesting that one quickly forgets to question what they have been saying and waits to hear what they will say next. Although the play is a comedy, it is serious at times, but the characters are strong enough to work even in these situations.

EHLLS offers a brief glimpse into the lives of several extremely confused people. Dixie and Jo are two very different women, brought together by their jobs at the same drugstore. Dixie is the crazy one who will try anything—bar-hopping, lesbianism, pouring milk over her head, etc.—to find satisfaction in her life, but in the end can do little beyond seriously disturbing herself and those around her. She is perfectly portrayed by Anya Raredon, ES '04, in her Yale theater debut. Anna Swanson, SM '02, creates a fascinating contrast as Jo, who still lives with her parents and never does anything but wishes she could get a boyfriend, or at least get laid.

Tim (Josh Drimmer, DC '03) is the quintessential Renaissance man, devoted to drama, painting, archaeology, and, of course, e-mail. Drimmer is A&E Editor of the Herald. Tim is the man who sleeps in Dixie's bed but desires Jo; he's the only man in the women's lives, unless you count their boss, the sometimes-depressed and always gullible Mr. Gallops (David Slifka, JE '01). Dixie's ex-roommate is Judy (Michelle Marie Mayorga, JE '03) a possessive woman who takes everything, including her bed, with her when she moves out. Judy's ex-girlfriend is George (Andrea Giese-Sweat, PC '04), a mastermind at Boggle who eagerly introduces Dixie to a new style of living. The final members of the cast are Karen Ash, JE '03, and Evangeline Zimmerman, ES '04, who only appear in one scene but are the absolutely perfect LLs (you'll have to see the show to get it).

The story begins and ends in the drugstore and concentrates to a great extent on Dixie and Jo's inability to make any progress in their lives. They both enlist very able characters in their attempt to change things, but no one seems truly able to help them. Even the wise Tim only confuses himself when he attempts to relate to Dixie and Jo. In the end, Dixie makes some progress towards finding a possible source of stability in her life, and Jo stumbles towards finding a possible source of romance, but it is difficult to say whether either character will ever be really happy.

This performance is directed by Jeremy Stacy, SY '02, who announced the show's "world premiere" with a quiet pride. The premiere went flawlessly, and the only serious complaint members of the audience could have made concerned the difficulty in seeing those parts of the show that took place on the floor. The performance took place in the Ezra Stiles Little Theater, and, unfortunately, the cramped seating arrangement made it difficult for those not sitting in the front row to see all of the stage.

Theater

Everyone Has Lots and Lots of Sex By Jonathan Bernstein Directed by Jeremy Stacy Fri., Dec. 8 at 7 and 10 p.m., Sat., Dec. 9 at 2 and 8 p.m. Ezra Stiles Little Theater $2

The world premiere of EHLLS was well-received. The characters' various predicaments and conversations kept the audience laughing throughout the performance. Even the serious scenes were punctuated by enough jokes to keep the light-hearted audience happy. My friend told me, "After seeing Everyone Has Lots and Lots of Sex, I actually felt like having lots and lots of sex." I don't know if his desire really has anything to do with seeing the play, but maybe it did. Whether or not EHLLS will revive Yale's lagging libido remains to be seen. The Little Theater, after all, really can't hold too many people.

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