THE RELAPSE
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Well, Econo-Art has beat everyone to the punch. They’ve realized the dream with The Relapse–a straight Restoration comedy, complete with wigs, stylized vocal technique and movement, and 17th-century costumes. But while Econo-Art does a fine job with it, I still can’t help but ask why. Why would an exciting, innovative theater want to do a silly sex farce with no pertinence to 20th-century values? The answer truly seems to be–just because it’s there. The Relapse is a pure museum piece.
If you’ve seen any Restoration comedy, you know the essence of the plot. All kinds of people want to get in all kinds of other people’s pants or petticoats, but there are lots of obstacles. In The Relapse, there’s also bigamy, an impoverished younger brother who needs money as well as sex, a bunch of country bumpkins, and an excruciatingly virtuous wife. The particular twists and turns are not only too numerous to recount, but would only confuse all of us.
