BWW Reviews: DEFENDING THE CAVEMAN at Denver Center

It probably goes without saying, but if you're a gay man in his 20s (like myself), you'll have little to gain from Defending the Caveman, playing now at the Denver Center's Garner Galleria Theatre.

But that doesn't mean the show isn't offering a lighthearted and realistic glimpse into both sides of any relationship.

The relationship-comedy genre is no stranger to the intimate Galleria. Neither is Caveman, which is making its fifth visit to the Mile High City.

True, the battles are a little primitive and generic. I guess that's what makes the subject matter relatable. What else do you expect from a show with prehistoric roots? Don't get me wrong, Denver native Cody Lyman's been successfully peddling the show for 12 years, and he hasn't lost any momentum.

Lyman plays the everyman conversationally, keeping crowds enthused with wide-eyed witty banter. He's perfected the portruding forehead and blank Neanderthal stares.

There's of course a lot of gender stereotyping. I'm not the hugest fan of categorizing men as TV-obsessed slobs and women as shopping drones, but the crowd of married couples and ladies' groups seemed to love it. Meanwhile, I found pieces of myself in either gender. You might, too. (For real, though...every other joke was about TV. This show was definitely written in the '90s.)

Lyman shows the audience that men still love the women in their lives, even if they don't totally understand why something looks pretty. But I wish there would have been a bigger call to action on honesty. It's understandable that guys don't want to make a woman they love upset...but c'mon fellas, if she's asking for your opinion, get used to having an honest one.

Honestly, though, I really did enjoy the writing...but I just didn't really relate to it much.

Defending the Caveman plays the Garner Galleria Theatre at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts until June 28. Tickets are available at www.DenverCenter.org or by calling (303)893-4100.

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