Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks

A Crowd Pleaser at Playhouse

Now playing at the Coconut Grove Playhouse is a very funny play by Richard Alfieri, titled Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks. The two character play stars Rue McClanahan of Golden Girls fame and Mark Hamill, whose STAR WARS stints got him world recognition. Smartly directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman, the play, a comedy, manages to depict the lonely life of some segments of society. Rue McClanahan plays Lily Harrison, a lonely older widow, who lives in a sumptuous apartment on the water in St. Petersburg. She needs something in her life, so she decides to take a series of dance lessons from Mike Minetti, a dance instructor, who happens to be gay. There is much verbal sparring between the two, each leading a lonely life, beautifully realized by the wonderful writing of Alfieri and the excellent acting by the production's two stars. It's been a while since I have heard such a series of belly laughs in a theatre and if you do not leave the Playhouse with a big smile on your face, there is something wrong with your sense of humor.

With its single set, a great one by Roy Christopher, and only two characters, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks will become a staple of small local theatre's around the country. Kay Cole did the uncomplicated dance routines, which serve to finish off each segment. As the play unfolds, each person's secrets are exposed, with warm results. Each actor has the opportunity to expose his and her acting skills, giving a touch of reality between the funny lines, many of them a bit bawdy, but extremely funny. Both the audience and I loved the show, and it should enjoy a very successful run. It will play through April 13.

South Florida's Entertainment News & Views :: March 28, 2003