STAGE REVIEWS : ON AFFAIRS OF THE HEART, ‘LUNCH’ LEAVES A HUNGER

Any resemblance to reality in “Lunch Hour” at the Laguna Moulton Playhouse is strictly coincidental. Jean Kerr’s contemporary comedy of marital infidelity needs to be taken with a very large grain of salt, but the Laguna Moulton production provides the other necessary ingredients to realize the humor in this amusing tweak at today’s mores.

Kerr reduces marital infidelity to a game of musical chairs played by characters who stay remarkably emotionally detached. An impassive marriage counselor discovers that his wife is having an affair, and the bearer of this bad news is the flaky young wife of the “other man.” While deciding how to handle the situation, the betrayed spouses find themselves falling for each other.

Safe to say, there are no genuine emotions at work here. Instead, these characters are full of synthetic reactions, which are the source of most of the play’s humor. The blooming relationship between the marriage counselor and the kook as they sort out their feelings is funny because it is so unlikely, opening the door to all sorts of romantic possibilities.

The Laguna Moulton cast capitalizes on those possibilities, for the most part. Robert Engman is solidly convincing as Oliver, the coolly collected marriage counselor who thaws during the course of the play. Sherry Kraft manages to make a sympathetic case for the implausible, offbeat Carrie, defined by a broadly drawn naivete and exaggerated nervous energy.

Far less sympathetic is Kathleen Collins’ unfaithful wife Nora, who comes across as petulant and pouty. Bill Littleton nicely handles the cartoonish role of Peter, the object of Nora’s illicit desires, who comes to realize that his money and good looks can’t buy happiness.

Marthella Randall’s direction manages to capture the rhythms of real life during the course of a day. The father-and-son team of Don and Doug Williamson designed the attractive set--an undoubtedly high-rent beach house. It is enhanced by Bob Cady’s effective lighting design, which follows the changing colors of light over the span of a day.

“Lunch Hour” will play through Nov. 23 at Laguna Moulton Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. For information, call (714) 494-0743.