St. Philip’s director promises a relatable story with a whole lot of comedy.
By Gabriela Rodriguez
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
“The Tale Of The Allergist’s Wife,” a soulful and charismatic play about a woman’s quest to find the meaning of life, will be 8 p.m. today, Saturday and Nov. 20-21 and 2:30 p.m. Nov. 15 and 22 in Watson Theater.
Directed by Vincent Hardy, coordinator of the St. Philip’s College theater program, the play is described as a farcical comedy. It originally opened Feb. 29, 2000, at the Manhattan Theater Club and later moved to Broadway.
Written by Charles Busch, winner of the Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Award for “Wife,” it portrays a woman, Marjorie Taub, going through a midlife crisis.
Even though she’s married to a doctor and is considered upper class, there’s no real happiness within her. Her mother doesn’t help her and continues to add to her insecurities and feelings of mediocrity.
A childhood friend interrupts the scenario. Even though she helps lighten Marjorie’s dark mood, she also stirs up some trouble in her marriage.
It is Busch’s “most mainstream play,” compared to more than 25 other plays he has written, Hardy said.
Hardy thinks most people constantly question the meaning of life.
“Having questions means being alive and engaged with life,” Hardy said.
Such soul-searching occurs whether one is young, old or middle-aged, he said.
“The older I get, I have more questions,” Hardy said.
Life doesn’t come in a neat package and there might be no safe harbor, but that’s OK, Hardy said.
“As long as you’re alive the quest is alive. It’s about the journey rather than the destination,” he said.
The idea to stage “Wife” this semester was born from one of Hardy’s former theater students. The student pointed out how he had never done any comedies aside from the dark variety he usually prefers.
Hardy had seen “Wife” around 2000 while he was living in New York and remembers laughing a lot so he decided to put it on stage this season.
Hardy advises parental guidance for children younger than 14 since there will be adult language and situations presented in the play.
For more information, call Hardy at 210-486-2838.
