Alan's Search For The Best Girl In Montreal @ Theatre 314

Alan's Search for the Best Girl in Montreal @ Theatre 314 to Sat. Feb. 21st.

If 'Sex and the City' is a chick flick then this play, the polar opposite, must be a 'dick' flick'; but not, because that would make it 'gay porn'. So how to qualify this very cleverly written and performed play by Adam Kelly: A one man show or stand-up / story telling, a musical? Not just one and all apply...

The storytelling is supported by a very strong cast of local talented actresses: Hilary Keithlin, Léanna Glance, *Rosaruby Glaberman, (*love that name) and Patricia Manessy. There is a lot of stand up (even some cat calls and some audience participation to accompany the lead actor) and plenty of story telling style, and thrown in for good measure, some live music, song, and dance...even a few tastefully inserted yet somewhat campy special effects (Paris's Tour Effel was a real stretch) and although that is a contradiction, it all makes sense when you 'participate' in the journey of Alan's search for a 'relationship' with someone he can love and who can love him back.

Some will find many moments rather self indulgent, but hey, it is told from a heterosexual male anxiety perspective, so self-gratification is to be expected. If you like your theatre, highbrow, tight, and uncontroversial, then this isn’t the play for you. It will send the feminists running in their steel-toed construction boots for the old freight elevator. No real need to qualify this play; if you're able to keep an open mind, everything in perspective, and just go along for the ride, then you'll have a hoot and a holler!

The pacing is slow and there are a few rough transitions but this may improve with more performances. It does run too long at over 2:30 with the intermission. Which is difficult enough with the uncomfortable squeeky dig in your back folding chairs. But with a few beers from the adjacent (at arms length) bar, and the proximity of the bathrooms (a few steps away), you can easily compensate for this. A must see for Mom's who are now empty nesters having lost their progeny to the forces of single male independence.

Go See It!

Theatre 314, Ungava Bldg. 10 Pine W. 3rd floor.