LONG BEACH, CA (cont.)

The focus is on a young couple enmeshed in the city and about to have their first child. Alison (Michelle Lane) loves city life, while Stuart (Brent Schindele in the performance reviewed), bitten by the suburban bug, dreams of "room to grow, a yard out back and a cul-de-sac."

In the fictional town of Suburb ("The only thing missing is YOU!" a billboard trumpets), Stuart finds his dream home. Its owner, Tom (Richard Hawkes), is on the verge of retirement, but begins having second thoughts.

The nexus among these characters is real estate agent Rhoda Ravitch (Elise Dewsberry), a tacky, unsubtle woman who gives new meaning to the word "gauche." Rhoda zeroes in on the couple, laying on the clichés. Stuart's enthusiasm is unbridled, but Rhoda's tactics make Alison wince. Meanwhile, Rhoda urges Tom to sell and move on with his life.

At the core of Suburb are the deep-seated fears and desires of Alison, Stuart and Tom, skillfully voiced in Javerbaum's lyrics. Lang's principals are outstanding. Lane is particularly adept at developing Alison, gradually showing us a bit more with each scene. Dewsberry's Rhoda, with her braying
laugh and coarse manner, is a scene- stealer, also making credible Rhoda's
eventual display of the earthy wisdom she shares with Alison.