C)

STN Entertainment

'Sylvia'

None of this is salacious or even
ate and Greg are New York
City empty-nesters in A.R. mean-spirited. And much of it is
Gurney's fey comedy Sylvia. quite funny. Credit is due to di-
The last kid's off to college; rector Phillip Locker who keeps it
Kate's career teaching English to within tasteful limits. And Mary
inner-city children is fulfilling. Copenhagen's outfits for Wing as
Greg, though, is feeling soft at the she goes from stray to groomed to
center — his work is no longer Central Park yuppie dog are quite
hilarious.
compelling.
Utilizing only one set
What's a guy to do? Have
EATER
I
works
efficiently, but it
an affair' Drink too much?
isn't quite believable as
Gamble?
In a Gurney comedy, you get a both apartment and park, cap-
turing neither a hint of sylvan set-
dog.
Greg names his dog — a stray ting or, for that matter, the
— "Sylvia"; Kate hates her and decidedly upscale life of Greg and
calls her Saliva. Oh, did I mention Kate, played with nice swagger
that Sylvia is embodied by a and wifely understanding by San-
young, svelte and tremendously dra Birch.
The remaining three charac-
appealing actress named Laura
ters
are each played by Harold Ju-
Wing?
Wing is a female dog — giving rkiewicz in various disguises: One
ample opportunity to coyly play wonders if these characters need
out so many of the politically in- to be quite so obnoxious and over-
correct notions which we would drawn.
This Detroit Actors Guild pro-
reject in a young lady/older man
of Sylvia pushes forward
duction
relationship.
But it is here that Greg — nice- into a pat and sentimental con-
ly played by Thomas Mahard — clusion, which I'm not sure it has
and Mr. Gurney get to eat their earned. One thing for sure; it ain't
cake and have it, too. Gurney's Cats — though I would recom-
play wants to explore a man's cri- mend seeing Ms. Wing as any
sis but detours into a star turn for form of animal life.
an actress playing a dog.
1/2
Michael Margolin writes about

K

the arts.

—Michael Margolin

Well Beings.

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health. But there's also a one in four chance he or she
isn't up-to-date with immunizations. One in four.
Your child needs more than 12 shots over the course
of five visits, before the age of two.
So never assume your baby is on schedule. Ask your
doctor at every visit.
That way, you'll be certain you're giving your child
a fair shot. And that's the most beautiful thing of all.
For more information, please call the National
Immunization Information Hotline at 1-800-232-2522.

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The former Attic — renamed the Alley Theatre — presents A.R. Gurney's Sylvia.