While cogitating on Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, a song came to mind, from Sondheim’s Company. Bobby is only interested in recreational sex, regardless of the wishes of his girlfriends. In one particular piece these three have a chance to express their frustration: You could drive a person crazy… You could drive a person buggy…They’re less fed up with insouciance than mixed-signals. It’s a smart, upbeat song that could describe Ivan, a similar character in Women on the Verge. Ivan’s philosophy that you can be lovers and walk away, without disclosing up front, works beautifully for him. But for his latest, Pepa (along with the others) Ivan’s excuse is perplexing. Not that she’s been told anything. He’s disappeared. Vanished. Without a word.
Pepa tries to get on with her day, while processing this disturbing news. She makes acquaintance with a very content, jovial Taxi Driver. She goes to the studio where she does voiceover work, expecting to find Ivan. They tell her he’s already recorded his lines, and he’s gone. She faints, and when they take her to the doctor, the possibility arises that she may be pregnant. She goes to Ivan’s home, only to discover he hasn’t been there for weeks. A mysterious woman confiscates the card Pepa’s left for Ivan, should he return. It’s revealed that she’s Ivan’s ex-wife. Next she encounters best friend Candela, a very emotional woman, a bit on the flaky side. She’s conflicted by her love affair with a terrorist named Malik. The shenanigans continue.
We notice from the start, that the female actors outnumber the men by 4 or 5 times. The cops are women, the doctors, lawyers, the director and technician at the recording studio… The cabbie introduces us to the vibrant and chaotic milieu of Madrid. Cue kinetic, energetic dancing by the entire cast. Women of all shapes and sizes. Flashy costumes. Background teeming with various colors and the comic book, pop art of Roy Lichtenstein. The songs seem to be heart-achy or sizzly or comic. The narrative considers the predicament that these long-suffering women (just like the girlfriends from Company) are trying their best, but what hope have they got with boyfriends that are self-absorbed, duplicitous, insipid and thoughtless? One way or another Ivan (the loathario) has messed with the women in his life, as well as his son. And, by association (it seems to me) we might infer the “women”, referenced in the title, are all struggling with the heartache of dealing with men.
It’s safe to say that Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is a fable of sorts, playing with the dangers of romance, strangeness of attachment, the baffling puzzle of life on this dizzy globe, and not taking it too much to heart. There are some genuinely touching moments, though mostly it’s absurd and basks in its own slow-motion zaniness. It’s a witty, undeniably entertaining, outre’ musical, and marvelous fun.
MainStage Irving – Las Colinas presents: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, playing July 15th, 2022. Dupree Theater: 222 E Irving Blvd, Irving, TX, United States, Texas. (972) 594-6104. mainstageirving.com