Philadelphia Weekly

Smarmy of one: The self-centered Mr. Marmalade (Jeb Kreager) serves tea to Lucy (Amanda Schoonover).

Eighty minutes of menacing delight that ultimately signifies nothing--that pretty much sums up Noah Haidle's engaging but hollow comedy Mr. Marmalade.

The play begins with precocious 4-year-old Lucy (Amanda Schoonover) entertaining her imaginary companion Mr. Marmalade (the sinisterly charming Jeb Kreager) at a fantasy tea party. It's a charming scene with Lucy politely serving tea and snacks. But when she shyly asks her adult companion: "Why don't you touch me anymore?" it's clear an unhealthy adult influence has pervaded the little girl's imaginary world.

Lucy is attempting to play-act the perfect marriage. But Marmalade is far from the ideal husband. A coke addict, workaholic and sexual deviant, he abuses not only Lucy but also his sensitive--and equally imaginary--personal assistant Bradley (the excellent Dan Hodge).

A chance encounter leads Lucy to embark on a relationship with 5-year-old Larry, who introduces himself as the youngest person in New Jersey to attempt suicide. After an intimate game of doctor with Larry, Lucy temporarily banishes Marmalade from her life. But although Larry is clearly superior boyfriend material, Lucy remains emotionally attached to the charismatic Marmalade. When he returns from rehab begging her forgiveness, she takes him back. But even the appearance of a fantasy baby is unable to save their doomed affair.

In the imaginary relationship between Marmalade and Lucy, Haidle attacks the myth of the perfect suburban home, complete with a loving husband and wife residing in marital bliss behind a white picket fence.

But while Haidle's dialogue is marvelously witty, the play is ultimately unsatisfying. The chief problem is that Haidle never identifies the source of Lucy's disquieting maturity. The child's insightful quips are often wildly funny, but her adult behavior is more of a comedic device than a revealing character trait, and we never become truly alarmed by the abuse heaped on her by the self-centered Marmalade.

There isn't a false step, however, in the Theatre Exile production. Exceptionally directed by Joe Canuso, the play's real characters are as bizarre as Lucy and Larry's imaginary companions. In addition to splendid lead performances from Kreager and Schoonover, Charlotte Ford is terrific as Lucy's distracted babysitter Emily. And both Ford and Pfeiffer turn in amusing portrayals as a pair of boisterous plants that spring from Larry's imagination to wreak havoc on one of Lucy's decorous tea parties.

But in the end the play amounts to little more than a creative concept that goes nowhere. Haidle is a talented young playwright, but Marmalade's optimistic conclusion feels false and manufactured, leaving us more puzzled than contented.

Mr. Marmalade
Through Nov. 25. $15-$40. Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 N. American St. 215.922.4462. www.theatreexile.org

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>>Footlights
Blinding Performance

Perhaps no disability scares people more than the loss of sight. But in the Amaryllis Theatre Company's production of Brian Friel's Molly Sweeney, blindness is presented not as a disadvantage but as another way of seeing the world. Part of Independence Starts Here: A Festival of Disability Arts and Culture, director Tom Reing's production stars Pamela Sabaugh as Molly, marking the first time a visually impaired actress has played the title role. Based on a true story, the tale is told from the perspective of Sweeney, her husband Frank (Stephen Patrick Smith) and Molly's optometrist Mr. Rice (Michael Toner). Blind since infancy, Molly (who uses smell and touch to explore and identify the world around her) is comfortable with her life. But Frank is obsessed with Molly's sight and he finds an ally in Rice, who believes restoring Molly's vision will revive his tarnished career. Both Smith and Toner give quality performances, but the production belongs to Sabaugh, who fully immerses herself in the role. Suddenly thrust into a foreign world of partial images and blinding light following the operation, Molly is overwhelmed with sensory input. The blurred images leave her disoriented and almost incapable of distinguishing reality from illusion. Sabaugh conveys Molly's bewilderment with startling forcefulness, and her complex portrayal ranks among the year's best. A highly charged production of a compelling play, Sweeney proves there's more than one way to see the world. (J.C.R.) >> Through Nov. 18. $10. Playground at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St. 215.564.2431. www.amaryllistheatre.org