Georgetown Independent
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GLT comedy is a light-hearted spoof worth the time
Wednesday April 23 2008
By Ted Brown, Staff Writer
 
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Undergoing a tax audit is never a fun thing, but when you know you've made some less than legal claims, it's downright nerve-racking, as the protagonists learned in Georgetown Little Theatre's Love, Sex and the IRS, which opened Thursday night at John Elliott Theatre.

The story centers around Jon and his roommate Leslie, who have been through thick and thin together since their college days.

And, as friends are want to do, Jon offered to file Leslie's income tax forms, to help him out.

The thing Jon forgot to mention was that he filed Leslie as a woman, instead of a man, so he could claim 'Leslie' as his wife.

All went well, the refunds came in and Leslie was none the wiser-- until the man from the IRS knocked at the door.

And while all this is happening, Jon's fianc?e Kate has been seeing Leslie behind Jon's back- and has plans of leaving him for Leslie.

A surprise visit from Jon's mom, a nosey apartment building superintendent and a unexpected visit from Leslie's girlfriend set the stage for a hilarious play of mistaken identities, miscommunication and lots of laughs.

Sheri Buker is the epitome of innocence (or not) as Kate, Jon's fianc?e. Her wide-eyed innocence and sexy on-stage presence makes her a credit to her part.

Marcel Jordon is the impetuous, crafty Jon who is taxed to the limit to find a way to explain his situation to his auditor. At times Jordon tends to over-act a bit, but still gives a good performance.

Playing Leslie, Tyler Bignell steals the show as the nervous roommate. With his long hair and over-exaggerated stage presence, he actually is quite credible as a woman.

Gary McIlvray is priceless as the no-nonsense monotone-speaking Floyd Spinner of the IRS. McIlvray commands the stage when he enters Jon and Leslie's apartment, in his 'secret service' mode and his official stature.

Patti Caruso is quite credible as the nosey, narrow-minded Vivian, Jon's mother. She barges in and takes over not only the apartment, but the stage, with her boisterous manner.

Ro Palumbo-Coates had a particularly challenging part, as Mr. Jansen, the apartment super. With her Bronx accent and cocky strut, she actually gave the character life and was a hit with the audience.

Acting alongside Palumbo-Coates was her son Brendan Coates, who played the somewhat sinister Arnold Grunion, a justice of the peace who makes house calls. Coates might have had a brief part, but contributed lots with his stage presence.

Cat Skirrow played Leslie's girlfriend Connie, who had a knack for being a little gullible in the hands of Jon. Skirrow played her character well.

The set was quite realistic with a New York skyline in the background, and certainly gave the play its setting. Lighting and musical cues were on the money and the play ran like a well-oiled machine.

Love Sex and the IRS would certainly not be considered one of GLT's monumental plays, but rather tends to be a light-hearted spoof that will give the audience a few well-deserved laughs.

In spite of that fact, it's still worth a night at the theatre to sit back, relax and watch Jon and Leslie sweat, as the rest of the players slip in and out of the picture.

The play continues its run this week.