Pocket Sandwich Theater presents a hilarious and timely production of Love, Sex, and the I.R.S. by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore. This play will never win a Pulitzer Prize, but when was the last time you saw a Pulitzer Prize-winning play that made you split your sides laughing for two hours? And who among us doesn't enjoy a laugh at the expense of the I.R.S.? -- especially at this time of year.
Jon (Lee Irving) and Leslie (Russell Johnson) share a Manhattan apartment. Jon has been filing joint returns for four years and listing Leslie as his wife in order to save on taxes. Meanwhile Leslie has been filing an individual tax return for two years and checking off M for his gender designation.
To further complicate the plot, Jon's fiancee, Kate (Cindy Robarge) has been carrying on a romance with Leslie for the past week, and Leslie has decided to break up with his girlfriend, Connie (Taylor Bunn). Into this mix, throw a surprise visit by Jon's mother, Vivian (Cynthia Matthews) from Chicago, numerous visits by Mr. Jansen, the landlord, (Patrick Douglass) an unannounced visit by Floyd Spinner (Kevin Michael Fuld) from the I.R.S., and a slightly inebriated recent acquaintance of Vivian's, one Arnold Grunion (Pryor Hamblen). The I.R.S. auditor wants to meet Jon's wife, Leslie; thus telegraphing the remainder of the plot.
All the cast members have comic flair, but the hands-down scene stealers are Matthews, Fuld, and Johnson, who go so over-the-top their mere presence onstage elicits laughter. Ramp up that presence with their laugh-a-second antics, and you have the recipe that has made Pocket Sandwich the premiere comedy theater in town. Not only that but they serve up some tasty sandwiches and desserts.
