Cold feet at the prospect of becoming a dad gets its airing every which way and then some in “Little Footsteps,” playwright Ted Tally’s cautious comedy about growing up, taking responsibility and choosing the right mate…or not.
In their New York City apartment, the angst-ridden Ben (Andrew Vonderschmitt) intentionally makes his kind, oh-so-patient and pregnant wife Joanie (Erinn Koch) absolutely miserable.
Impending fatherhood brings out the worst in him, and the undeserving Joanie gets the brunt of the fallout.
Joanie eventually leaves Ben, but not until both of them have poured out their deepest, darkest hopes and fears to an unsuspecting audience who may at times feel like they are getting too much information.
But Tally’s willingness to expose the characters’ most intimate thoughts about parenthood and each other, in the form of prolonged “asides” to the audience, is precisely the device that makes the play’s first act so good.
Vonderschmitt’s Ben is charming and funny. His immaturity, and especially his awareness of it, made me want to wring his neck. Koch’s Joanie exudes a natural sweetness and down-to-earth appeal that blends beautifully with her smarts.
She knows exactly who she’s married to. In spite of the tense situation, which is accentuated by Ben’s anxiety attacks, Vonderschmitt and Koch achieve a chemistry that rivals that of Shakespeare’s Beatrice and Benedick.
Unfortunately, the second act’s continuation of the story takes the form of a farce, complete with Ben frantically climbing in and out of windows, and hiding behind doors and in the baby’s crib.
Joanie eventually colludes with him in the deception, keeping the knowledge of Ben’s return from her parents (Diana Mann and Cort Huckabone) as if they were children.
It was all rather unconvincing as the behavior of the sensible Joanie we had met in the first act.
Scenic designer Jesse Groth Olson’s set is a dining room with whitewashed walls upon which Joanie works on painting the mural that will one day transform the room into the nursery of her dreams. I can only imagine that the mural evolves over the course of the play’s six-week run. How inventive!
Gregory Cohen directs the talented cast. And either Cort Huckabone has aged about 30 years since I last saw him a few weeks ago, or some unsung hero did an absolutely amazing job with make-up. (The playbill really should have given credit.)
“Little Footsteps” winds up pretty much where it began, but with a little ray of hope shining through its pending cloudburst. I guess sometimes hope is all there is.
“Little Footsteps” continues at the Long Beach Playhouse Studio Theatre through Mar. 1.
General admission tickets are $22; $20 for seniors. Student tickets are $12 with valid student ID and are available for Friday and Saturday performances.
Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees on Feb. 10 and 24 at 2 p.m.
Call (562) 494-1014 for reservations and information. Tickets are also available online at www.lbph.com.
