Theater review | Temptation rules in "So Many Words"

The gap between one's philosophy of living and the reality of one's life can be miles apart. And in Chicago playwright Roger Rueff's play "So Many Words," that chasm is unbridgeable.

Now in its Northwest premiere at Theater Schmeater, under Doug Staley's direction, "So Many Words" concerns a successful novelist (Stanley, played by Paul Custodio) whose works suggest that since life is essentially meaningless and random, no one needs to be responsible for what they do to others.

At least, that's what one gathers from this Pinter-esque tale, which unfolds in a single Washington, D.C., hotel room, where Stanley is staying with his wife, Katherine (Teri Lazzara).

The couple is in D.C. to attend an award ceremony where Stanley will receive a major literary prize. But before that distinction is bestowed, temptation arrives in the comely form of Pamela (Angela DiMarco), an attractive young she-devil Stanley met in transit.

Shuttling between snappy tension and talky contrivance, "So Many Words" asks what might happen if adults who should know better acted with no concern for the past, present or future.

That's the M.O. of the most amusing but least believable character, DiMarco's confidently vampy Pamela. She's a fan of Stanley's work, and takes its implications way too literally.

The novelist's suspicious assistant and gatekeeper Beth (Karen Jo Fairbrook) can't repel this blatant seductress. Nor does the revelation of a haunting tragedy in the writer's family keep Pamela from treating the long-suffering Katherine abysmally.

As for Stanley, he's too charisma-challenged in Custodio's stolid portrayal to give us a sense of his inner turmoil. On the contrary: His defenses are so easily overwhelmed, you gotta wonder what kind of sucker this guy is to fall for a stalking fan's hackneyed come-on about feeling a "deep connection" with him. (Um, "Fatal Attraction"? Look into it.)

There's some dramatic currency here in a couple of revelations that muddy up the moral waters, some cleverly arch dialogue, and a display of persuasive grief by the compelling Lazzara.

But it's hard to get invested in the romantic and philosophical dilemmas of characters you don't have even a shallow connection with. And despite some good performances, that's too often the case in "So Many Words."

Misha Berson: mberson@seattletimes.com