Spicy 'Pizza' satisfies romantic cravings
THEATER REVIEW
"The Poetry of Pizza"
Grade: B-
8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. 2:30 and 7 p.m. Sundays. 2:30 p.m. June 4. Through June 8. $18-$33. Theatre in the Square, 11 Whitlock Ave., Marietta. 770-422-8369, theatreinthesquare.com
Bottom line: Fresh-baked, with plenty of cheese.
Deborah Brevoort's "The Poetry of Pizza" is a zesty, easily digested romantic comedy that tastes more like thin crust than deep dish.
When a saucy American college professor goes on sabbatical in Europe, the table is set for a culture-clash caper of slamming doors, mistaken identities and amorous exchanges over the pleasures of sausage and pepperoni.
No intellectual calories will be burned. No cosmic revelations about the nature of love shall be revealed in this Theatre in the Square production. About the only surprising ingredient of this comedic mishmash is that it's set in the cold Nordic landscape of Denmark instead of the sun-dappled splendor of Tuscany.
Yet expat poetry expert Sarah Middleton (Agnes Lucinda Harty) isn't about to fall under the spell of the foolish married fop Ule Enevold (Scott E. DePoy) or cheesy Danish academic Heino Anderson (Robin Bloodworth). Not when the handsome Soran Saleen (David Kronawitter) is showering her with Purple Passion, Persian Kisses and Rose Petals (as she names his beautifully crafted pies).
"The Poetry of Pizza" has whiffs of magic realism (see the foodie film "Chocolat") and the exotic allure of romantic travel tales (see "The Light in the Piazza").
Soran, a Kurdish immigrant, is the kind of guy who gets homesick for figs and pistachios and speaks with the rhythmic thud of Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat. Kronawitter imbues Soran with pitch-perfect comedic timing and the soul of an artist.
Also good are Karen Howell as Sarah's agorophobic-turned-nymphomaniac landlady, Olga; William S. Murphey as Soran's employer, Rebar; and DePoy, as the flustered romantic Ule, who happens to be married to another agorophobiac (played by Nita Hardy). In this dishy bunch, Harty's Sarah seems a little bland.
Director Jessica Phelps West's ensemble could use a lot of guidance with their Scandinavian accents, which are cartoonish one minute and non-existent the next. While costume designer Joanna Schmink's parade of red buttons is cute, Rochelle Barker's faux-stucco set has the curdling effect of a purple stomach laxative.
At 2 1/2 hours (including intermission), this light-as-piecrust offering stays in the oven just a bit too long and has a predictable, happily-ever-after flavor in the end. But no matter how you slice it, "The Poetry of Pizza" is still a fool-proof recipe for fun.
