Brilliant Story Telling Moments in "Swiping Mr Right" at the Santa Monica Playhouse

Sit down in your seat at the Santa Monica Playhouse - a space bathed in violet light occupied by one small, square, cloth covered table and a plain black lacquered chair. You'll be glad you did.

If you are anything like Saturday Sept 16th's audience, (we saw people ranging in age from mid 30's to 93) you will laugh out loud, nod and shake your head in sympathy, sigh and even be moved to shout out. And you'll be witness to a personal revelation pertinent to all who engage in this endeavor called romantic love.

"Swiping Mr. Right" is peppered with self-deprecating humor and starts by pushing the slapstick envelope. It's a good representation of a man-child who turns himself into a pretzel to be what a woman might want him to be. The emphasis is on him. It's all about him. And unlike many vignette styled "this is me" one actor shows, Christopher Meehan delivers satisfying character development and offers something relevant to our times and experience.

There are brilliant story-telling moments, especially when, under the guidance of director Kate Whitney, Mr. Meehan serves up some truly beautiful moments of physical comedy, effectively switching characters at lightning speed. It's a joy to experience. The audio visual and lighting are artfully crafted to enhance and not overpower the performance. It is beautifully timed and used to great effect.

For information about tickets for the remaining shows on Thursday Sept 28th and Friday Sept 29th at 8:00PM go to http://swipingmrright.brownpapertickets.com. Get to know Christopher Meehan at http://www.christophermeehan.com.

For those unfamiliar with the venue, the Santa Monica Playhouse (1211 4th Street, Santa Monica, CA http://www.santamonicaplayhouse.com), stadium seating creates great sight lines, the acoustics are such that we hear the actor without distortion of a sound system, there is public parking across the street and there are restaurants within a short walking distance.

This is a show worth supporting, so ask for an extended run if it is sold out. This show has it's heart in a good place. We look forward to watching "Swiping Mr. Right's" trajectory in this world of theater we love so much.

945297-250.gifConsumed with too many choices, a 40-something man-child seeks to be Mr. Right to the masses of women on his phone app. Can he download his true self and discover the meaning of love in the over connected, disconnected digital world of dating?

Written and Performed by Christopher Meehan

Directed by Kate Whitney

reviewed by Monica Schober with James H. Carlin