'Isn't it Romantic' witty outlook on gender roles

"Isn't it Romantic," began as a simple stream of messages left on Janie Blumberg's answering machine and wove its way into a emotional discourse on friendship, gender roles and the small, intimate details of life Wednesday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. \nThe set remained simple yet effective as a backdrop with two doors served as two rooms that often allowed two simultaneous scenes to evolve, creating a voyeuristic atmosphere. Playing to a small but attentive audience, the cast delivered on all fronts, capturing the emotional states of their characters that served as driving factor in the play.\nJanie, a woman plagued by apathy and eccentricity, played beautifully by junior Carly Roetter, remained the center of attention through most of the night. At the beginning of the play, Janie returns to her new apartment in New York. She is unemployed and has yet to completely unpack physically or mentally.\nThe only thing keeping this scatter-brained woman from sleeping away her days is the companionship of her Harvard-graduated friend Harriet, played by senior Jennifer Biggio, who is quickly on her way up the food chain of the business world. \nJanie and Harriet appear onstage as a version of the Odd Couple, completely contrasting in dress and personality. Soon the two friends discuss the pros and cons of marriage. Harriet says no self-respecting woman should succumb to marriage before first creating a life for herself. The thematic question "What makes a woman?" is first addressed here and reoccurs throughout the play.\nSimon and Tasha, Janie's parents played remarkably well by senior Samantha Schisler and sophomore Eric Price, are the image of a chronically inseparable couple and strive to force Janie into marriage, which further complicates her life. Rather than addressing this conflict dramatically, it is presented through humor, which gives the play levity and charm. \nIn contrast with Janie's all-American family, the introduction of Harriet's single, career-driven mother introduces the debate of personal interest versus marriage. Her presence greatly influences Harriet's views at this point in the play.\nLuckily, we are saved from this rather empty view when we are introduced to the odd character Vladimir, played by sophomore Luke Pennington. A Russian filmmaker, Vladimir added some nice comic relief to the play.\nThe comedic drama continued as Janie enters and progresses in a relationship with Marty, a doctor played by freshman Gavin Blumenthal, and as the two begin to develop pet names for each other they become the kind of overly affectionate couple who make singles cringe. The pairing of Roetter and Blumenthal worked remarkably well and had the audience in constant smiles.\nMeanwhile, bringing a tone of seriousness to the performance, Harriet's affair with the married man Paul begins to travel over rough waters when Paul informs her brutishly that "life is a negotiation," females are meant to cook, and that love is simply a ridiculous idea. \nOnce again, the debate about the role of the female in society is brought into focus subtly, but strong enough to still pack a punch. \nThe stage crew and design were once again at top form as scenes were often tied together by breaks in which clips of comic dialogue were played as "phone messages," painting an even clearer picture of these odd, yet lovingly funny characters.\n"Isn't it Romantic" ended in a finale perfectly crafted to match author Wendy Wasserstein's chaotic style, in that both characters changed their early beliefs leaving Janie single and proud, while Harriet marries someone she's known for two weeks. If it weren't for the incredible portrayal of the scenes by the cast, this play could easily be viewed as a daytime soap opera. The only real sense that this story will find some sanity is in the conclusion of the play Janie says, "Everything eventually presses itself out."\nTo give Wasserstein credit, the play does include just enough content, if played well, to create debate over the controversial and important issue of gender roles and marriage versus careers in today's society. More importantly, she showed these topics could be discussed in a light-hearted manner.