Swimming in the Shallows: Jumping the Shark (and Cuddling Afterward)

Sometimes a dude making out with a shark is a symbol of man's continual desire for that which he can never obtain. And sometimes it's just a dude making out with a shark.

If you really want to delve into the hidden meanings behind Adam Bock's funny and frisky surreal romantic comedy, Swimming in the Shallows, go right ahead. There are a few of them floating close to the surface. But really, it's just too hot out to start discussing the play's Dadaist qualities so let's just call it an abundantly clever bit of sunshine with a sexy cast that can charm the pants off ya and a production that merrily zips along.

A handful of friends in the fictional town of Twig, Rhode Island all find themselves branching out in one way or another. Barb (a sweetly bird-like Mary Shultz) is growing dissatisfied with her marriage to Bob (a gruff and emotionally closed Murphy Guyer) and wants to simplify her existence by emulating the practice of Buddhist monks who limit themselves to eight possessions. ("I bet they borrow everything", she speculates.)

Her friend and co-worker Carla Carla (a boisterous Susan Pourfar Susan Pourfar) is in a relationship with the slightly scattered Donna (Rosemarie DeWitt) who wants the two of them to get married and is willing to prove her commitment by kicking her despised cigarette habit. Or at least giving it a good try.

Then there's Donna's friend Nick, played with a puppy-dog cuteness by Michael Arden, who falls in love a bit too easily and frequently gets his heart crushed by a series of one-night stands. The latest object of his love at first tryst is the shark living in the aquarium where Donna leads tours. In the world of Swimming in the Shallows this is not considered the least bit unusual. Donna and company treat his attraction like any other infatuation he may have.

The shark in question is played with an aloof sexiness by Logan Marshall-Green, dressed in a black Speedo and a strap-on fin. Set designer David Korins works with mirrors and Paul Whitaker's lights to create a nifty visual showing Marshall-Green swimming in his tank.

Bock's lighthearted script is filled with breezy dialogue that gracefully accepts the most absurd plot points with nary a wink. Characters announce scene changes as if it were a natural part of everyday life. A trio of dream sequences begins with Barb being overwhelmed by a supermarket cereal aisle, followed by a glance at Donna and Carla Carla's rising wedding anxieties. The topper is the play's showstopper, with Nick fantasizing of hot sex with his aquatic dreamboat, a scene that may remind some readers of the 2AM crowd at Splash Bar.

Director Trip Cullman keeps the splendid ensemble moving with fast-paced patter and funny, inventive staging. Each role is played with sincerity and affection, making Swimming in the Shallows some of the sweetest inspired silliness in town.

 

Photos by Joan Marcus: Top: Susan Pourfar and Rosemarie DeWitt
Bottom: Logan Marshall-Green and Michael Arden

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