The Scene
Written by Theresa Rebeck
Directed by Rebecca Taichman
Second Stage Theatre
307 West 43rd St.
212-246-4422

Review by Maya Avrasin

We are a vapid, beauty-obsessed society. Or so says playwright Theresa Rebeck in her tragic-comedy, The Scene. The heart of her message can be found in her socialite antagonist, Clea, who is an ideal example of gold-plated shit: beautiful on the outside, but soulless on the inside. Fresh off the bus from Ohio, Clea comes to the New York social scene with a seemingly sweet disposition that briefly masks her confrontational attitude toward anyone who gets between her and a good party. Clea meets Charlie, played by Tony Shaloub, a dejected, out-of-work actor, who is so smitten by her flirtatiousness that he decides to leave his wife and secure life of leisure in favor of a warped version in Clea's world, which, unfortunately, leaves him feeling emptier than before.

Rebeck’s quips on modern society’s trivialities are delivered expertly by Shaloub and Patricia Heaton, who plays Charlie’s wife, Stella. While Heaton holds her own onstage, it is Shaloub’s masterful approach to physical comedy that steals the show. Meanwhile, Anna Camp delivers a pitch-perfect performance as Clea, complete with a Valley girl dialect that rises to new heights of grating annoyance.

With a versatile set design that is both stark and dynamic in its portrait of the New York cityscape, the characters can move freely — gesticulating about like the neurotic New Yorkers they portray. The only fault in this effortless play is in the direction. While Rebecca Taichman lets the actors take control of their characters, she allows a disturbing amount of physical distance between them. The unnecessary space insulates the actors during their extensive monologues and needlessly creates pseudo-scenes rather than the intense interaction the material calls for.

Nonetheless, The Scene is utterly delightful in its comedic performances, and  its slowly unraveling plot is thought-provoking and gut-wrenching. The latter owes more to Shaloub’s approach toward his character, whom the audience always favors — even when he’s committed adultery and seeks solace in the bottom of a vodka bottle. When Shaloub finally reaches enlightenment, it is heartbreaking to watch — but at least he has a heart (and soul) to break.