THEATER REVIEW : Something’s Missing in the ‘Riches’ Relationship

Whether the slant is hellish or humorous, there’s typically no riper theatrical subject than that of the diseased relationship, in which embattled partners psychologically, physically and generally torment one another in escalating battles.

Lee Blessing’s “Riches” at the Court Theatre takes a stab at the psychological slash and splatter of marital warfare, but rather than lacerating, delivers only an occasional flesh wound.

In the development of the play, Blessing worked closely with his director and dramaturge, Jeanne Blake, who also happens to be his wife. One would think that a husband and wife collaborative team might yield some special insights into the married state. However, although Blake’s direction is assured, Blessing’s play is largely a non-event, based on a strained premise and filled with reiterative interchanges that strike one as emotionally false.

David Rich (Mark Benninghofen) and his wife, Carolyn (Bernadette Sullivan), are celebrating their anniversary in the posh hotel where they honeymooned 15 years ago. Affluent, attractive and hitherto amicable, the Riches enjoy an enviably yuppified lifestyle in an upper-class Minnesota enclave, where the living is easy and crime is largely unknown.

As far as David is concerned, his marriage is ideal and his love for his wife stronger than ever. Carolyn, too, thought she was happy--until a week ago. Now, she drops an anniversary bombshell into David’s orderly existence. She wants a divorce, and she’s not about to reconsider her decision, despite David’s pleadings.

And what cataclysmic event precipitated Carolyn’s drastic re-evaluation? As Blessing conceives it, nothing in particular. A speech consultant, Carolyn can’t muster the words to define her disenchantment. Carolyn’s ironic inarticulateness becomes increasingly irritating as the play wends on and Carolyn still fails to make any concrete points about why she so suddenly and adamantly wants a divorce.

With her loony rationale, Carolyn functions as a sort of straight woman to David, whose sarcastic reactions to her nonsensical arguments are initially very funny indeed. However, as the stakes grow higher and the fight becomes uglier, Carolyn’s lack of motivation becomes lethally problematic to the play.

To Sullivan, whose pained Pieta expression varies not a whit throughout, goes the thankless task of delivering such lines as “I can’t stay in a relationship just because there’s nothing wrong with it.” Sullivan has taken too much to heart that adage about comedy being a serious business. A lighter hand, even a touch of dizziness, might have rendered her capricious character more sympathetic.

Benninghofen charms as the sensible, straightforward David, but gets into trouble when he has to respond seriously to such complaints from Carolyn as “I don’t like your nose” --apparently one of her bitterest gripes about their marriage.

In fact, Carolyn’s morose randomness could well be the by-product of severe depression, but there’s no hope of such a conveniently organic cause in Blessing’s scattered comedy-drama, which stands as sorely in need of intensive therapy as the Riches themselves.

* “Riches,” Court Theatre, 722 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood. Thursdays-Sundays, 8 p.m. $18. Ends Dec. 18. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 1 hour, 25 minutes.