Escort, The: An Explicit Play for Discriminating People

Jane Anderson's latest, The Escort, zeroes in on the life of an expensive call girl, Charlotte (the marvelous Maggie Siff) -- and by extension, the secret sex life of the U.S.A. Although most Americans call themselves practicing Christians and espouse family values, pornography and prostitution are thriving billion-dollar industries. The Escort shreds the hypocritical mask that America hides behind, revealing the true face of this sex-crazed nation.

The Escort opens with Charlotte breaking the fourth wall by directly addressing the audience. First she explains why she's wearing a flesh-colored body suit (to avoid "distracting" nudity), then she launches into a witty and spirited defense of her profession. She loves giving and receiving sexual pleasure, and feels there is nothing immoral or wrong about it. She also loves being paid handsomely for her services and is proud (and a little smug) to report that her clients are all super-rich businessmen, politicians and athletes.

Then we meet Dr. Rhona Bloom (Polly Draper), Charlotte's gynecologist -- and the divorced mother of a teenaged son, Mathew (Gabriel Sunday). Rhona and Charlotte exchange confidences and become friends. Then we get to meet Matthew, a kid whose obsession with internet porn bugs the hell out of Rhona. She turns to her ex-husband Howard (James Eckhouse), who is also a doctor, and asks for his help in dealing with the rebellious and horny Mathew.

Sex is on everyone's mind in this play. The preoccupation with it leads the characters into a series of confrontations, at first comic and bizarre, then increasingly foolish and irrational. Anderson stays on theme throughout, using clever devices (like direct address and actors playing multiple roles) to keep the story moving along snappily. The playwright is helped greatly by her excellent cast and director.

Ultimately, The Escort challenges the audience to either change the way it thinks about sex (and the human condition) or stay mired in bourgeois hypocrisy about it.