Stage: Bed

Pillow talk

By Jessica Kruse

When I was a teenager, my friends and I loved to add the phrase "in bed" to the end of fortunes found inside fortune cookies: You will have a long and prosperous life--in bed. A tall, handsome stranger will challenge you--in bed.

And while we never learned anything earth-shattering from our fortunes, it made for good entertainment. That's how I felt after seeing Bed at UNLV last weekend. I didn't walk away with any profound insights, nor did I experience any moments of divine inspiration. But I laughed a lot, especially at the sexual innuendo.

In Bed, Carl Walters is a depressed New York songwriter suffering from writer's block. After all, how can he write a love song when he's in the middle of a divorce? One morning Carl wakes up hearing voices in what should be an empty bedroom, and quickly discovers that the voice is coming from his bed (personified as a chipper, poodle skirt-wearing female) who appears determined to help Carl with his career and love life.

Although Carl and the audience are able to see this female "bed," the other characters are not, so as she offers him advice (while he's in the middle of conversations with his soon-to-be-ex-wife, his new love interest or his boss), these characters can't hear her sarcastic, and often hilarious, comments. Brook McGinnis is outstanding in her hilarious portrayal of the wise-cracking, movie-quoting and emotionally sensitive Bed. Likewise, Joe Wheeler is wonderful as moody, artistic Carl Walters.

The big problem with Bed is the delivery of the dialogue. Slow down, guys! This isn't speed-reading. Let the audience--and, more importantly, the characters--process what's being said before reacting to it. The behind-the-scenes crew deserves some recognition for its great background music ("These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," anyone?) and minimal yet effective scenery (although if you know even a little Italian, you'll be bothered by the misspelling of the word "ragazza" on the bed's headboard).

Bed, by Tom Swimm, is the winner of UNLV's 2004 Morton R. Sarett Award. If you're looking for a laugh, go see this play. You will have an entertaining evening--in Bed.