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i Who says sex isn't funny? I ; ? m I Studio Arena has 'Wild Desires' by RalphAllen this frothy fare. It's probably because most of them are veteran television actors. The virile-looking husband who can't get it up, Mr. Griffin (William Andrews) is probably the most visible to audiences, as he's been both on commercials as well as daytime soaps He's a broad farce as he constantly plays his innate image of macho against his effeminate put-ons. His wife, Mrs. Griffin (Rosemary Prinz) as a woman up on all the/latest fads is an amusing partner for Mr. Griffin. Her earnesty in carrying out her pop sexual therapy to the letter is amusing. There is no denying that the playwrightsthat truly make a living from their craft find it to their advantage to mime the lighter side of life for their dramaturgy. Neil Simon has made a fortune out of this principle. So might John Tobias. N Tobias is the author of the production that opened last Friday at the Studio Arena, My Husband's Wild-Desires Nearly Drove Me Mad. While the production might be snubbed by gaunt theater aesthetes burning with a vision of theater as scathing social commentary, even they would not be able to deny the well-crafted construct of the play. Yes, it doesn't go any deeper into its subject of sexual mores than an episode of Three is Company might, but it never said it would. Wild Desires centers on the hijinks of one thoroughly modern couple as they try to bring the thrill back into their bedroom. They adopt a modified open marriage to allow themselves \to live their fantasies\ as one of the afflicted couple, the buxom Mrs. Griffin says. What follows is a hilarious mise-en-scene as various men are pressed into becoming unwilling amateur sex therapists. Familiarity of TV Connelly, the rotund janitor (Rex Everhart) and the burglar (Mac Intyre Dixon) in the production are good male figures that play off the desperate couple. And Louise (Alice Drummond) as thd prim sister of Mrs. Griffin whose blood suddenly turns lusty, rounds out the play well. The audiences have cheered this world premiere of Wild Desires directed by Stephen Porter. While the (>ulk of the audience of Wild Desires might not be seen at any of the other theater productions around town, they do know what they like. The familiarity of television in the foreign world of theater is much appreciated by the occasional theater goer. Wild Desires is.light comedy. It is good light comedy and as such the criteria used for soul- searching dramaturgy doesn't apply. As long as Wild Desires isn't mistaken for something other than it is, audiences will not be disappointed. If we are going to have light comedy, then we should have the best light comedy possible. Wild Desires is a substantial step in that >•*\ direction. Frothy fare \ There is no mistaking that it is all in fun, as Tobias uses the situation to comment on the fanaticism with which individuals will cling to the latest panacea for ultimate sexual bliss. As he says, \A steady bombardment of media hype and pop psychology influences men and women of all ages to feel inadequate and out of it unless they're performing like feverish sexual athletes . .. constantly reexamining themselves to find out why they're not.\ If the cast seems particularly comfortable with William Andrew* as Mr. Griffin 'Wild Dealrea' a world premiere at Studio Arena SAVE MONEY $$$ BUSES TO NEW YORK CITY, LEAV- ING NOV. 21 AT 8:00 pm. TICKETS AVAILABLE AT PODER OFFICE, HALL. $35 ROUND TRIP. TICKETS ON SALE FROM 6:00 pm to 10 pm M — F. —Dennis R. Floss NIAGARA U.: Soulhside Johnny and the Atbury Jukes perpetuated their love affair with Western New York schools with an electrifying stage show at Niagara University lat Thursday (not yesterday). Between the Intimacy of the college gym and the Intensity of youthful fervor, the Asbury Jukes proved, once and for all, that they've got a firm grip on the goodtime theory. The Jukes were as tight and brassy as ever. And Southside (pictured above) was ever so cool. So what's new? U/B Main St Campus Recepcidn OLD RED MILL INN COMIDA PUERTORRIQUENA/ PUERTO RICAN FOOD Orador/SpeakerjNEFTALI GARCIA, Universidad de Puerto Rico “Recursos naturales y culture de Puerto Rico” (Puerto Rican Natural Resources and Culture) Pelicula/Film: “Percusiones, impresiones y realidad\ (Percussions, Impressions and Reality) Mu sic a: MUSICOS LOCALES I LOCAL MUSICIANS Poe si a/ Poetry; poetas locales / local £oets Auspiciado por Sponsored by; PODER