FLUFF IS NOT ENOUGH
Fluffy Bunnies in a Field of Daisies is precisely the type of title that peaks curiosity leading one to think that with such a clever and catchy name it has to be good. Not so fast. Celebrating its 10-year anniversary production, the show presented by Drew Brody / The Infinite Monkey Project is merely mildly amusing, never reaching the “absurdly hilarious” comedy promised in the press release. Perhaps the jokes were funnier and the sex-capades more shocking a decade ago but despite a few guffaws (very few) and some relatively tame innuendo there is not nearly enough 21st century levity or lewdness to elevate the show to anything more than a barely titillating grin-fest.
Written and directed by Matt Chaffee, the plot revolves around a group of twenty/thirty something buds and their sexual adventures – or misadventures as the case may be. Ultimately the show plays like a tired retread of an old Friends episode. Stuffed with fluff and jam-packed with an overabundance of words, the script requires a rapid-fire delivery from the cast, all of whom seem to be having a much better time than the audience. They relentlessly prod, poke, tease, taunt, and cajole each other into a frenzy. It’s witless repartee that quickly becomes little more than noise. For some unknown reason the second act opens with an amateurish song and dance number before it reverts to more of the same ole same ole. Then the show just ends, seemingly in mid-thought, without really making a case for its existence.
Bunnies is performed by a revolving cast. Most of the actors in the configuration I saw were capable and could easily be cast in any of the wacky-group-of-friends TV sit-coms currently flooding the airwaves. Particular standouts include Lyndsey Lantz as Re, the lone lady of the group (think Jordana Spiro in My Boys) and Joey Russo as Tommy (think Matt LeBlanc in Friends). Stephen Pollak and Matthew Hannon round out the cadre of compadres with Bobbi Berman, Karolin Luna, Cynthia Murell and Amy Sanders quirking it up as the various sex partner love interests. Despite all their likeability and charm, the script unfortunately leaves them all hanging out to dry.
The set design (also by Chaffee), no doubt meant to be whimsical and fun, seems more like a project painted by a preschool art class than a humorous homage to the carefree life of a fluffy bunny in, well you guessed it, a field of daisies.
photos by Svanh
Fluffy Bunnies in a Field of Daisies
The Infinite Monkey Project at the Arena Stage at Theatre of Arts in Hollywood
scheduled to end on July 28, 2012
for tickets, visit http://www.fluffybunnies.tix.com
