Theatre in Review: This Space Between Us (Keen Company/Theatre Row)At first glance, This Space Between Us appears to be written in English, but that's a superficial impression. In fact, the characters in Peter Gil-Sheridan's new comedy speak shtick, a dialect of English that is devoid of nuance and -- despite the script's many crude grabs for laughs -- humor. For example, Jamie, the protagonist, shows up for a day at the racetrack with his abrasive family, accompanied by Ted, his longtime partner. Their relationship thoroughly irritates Jamie's parents, both highly skilled micro aggressors. Frank, a Cuban who revels in ethnic slurs, has a nickname for Ted: "General Hospital." "Why does he call me that?" Ted asks. "He thinks you're dramatic," Jamie replies. "Like a walking soap opera." He should talk since he's appearing in this mishmash of family dysfunctions and lame wisecracks. Debbie, Jamie's mother, says, "Do you know that when [Jamie and Ted] come to our house that they bring their own sheets? Ted likes a high thread count. Jamie does too now." (In case you don't get it, it's because they're gay). Gillian, the brassy nightmare who is Jamie's best girlfriend, apologizes for their late arrival, saying, "Ted was in the bathroom." "You activated my IBS," mutters Ted. Frank worries that Jamie is getting "screwed" by higher-ups at his job. "No, Papi, no one is screwing me," Jamie insists. "Technically, I...," notes Ted, by way of correction. "Humor is just pain all dressed up in a clown suit," someone observes; in this case, the suffering is all ours. The family dynamics in This Space Between Us are so exasperating, it is little wonder that, every so often, Jamie retreats into a fugue state; otherwise, he might go postal and eliminate his loved ones en masse. Debbie and Frank are capable of showing up, unannounced, at Jamie and Ted's apartment, toting an air mattress and planning on spending the night. Gillian carries on as if she owns Jamie; at his birthday party, she crowns him, announcing, "You are my big, beautiful queen!" The only mildly sympathetic character, Pat, a nun, veers between impromptu prayer sessions and hurling a pitcher of water at Debbie, with whom she shares a long-running sibling rivalry. The action of This Space Between Us turns on Jamie's decision to throw over his lucrative corporate position for a job with an NGO focused on Africa; whether he does so out of altruism or a desire to ghost his loved ones is never clear; he is a walking and talking blank, a mild-mannered people-pleaser with no apparent desires of his own. Caught in the crossfire is Ted, his only crime being that of loving Jamie -- who, increasingly, doesn't seem to return the favor. As it happens, moving to a continent neither helps Jamie's lack of fulfillment nor does it provide escape from squabbling relatives. By then, however, it is too late to care. Other elements include a subplot about HIV that goes nowhere and could be excised altogether, running gags about the Kim Cattrall - Sarah Jessica Parker feud, and a hospital room catfight. Jonathan Silverstein, normally a most capable director, seems utterly lost with these cartoons; his discomfort is acutely felt in an awkward bit of slapstick involving a stray laptop plug and a patient hooked up to various life-saving machines. One or two scenes, between Ryan Garbayo (as Jamie) and Tommy Heleringer (as Ted), have an authentic feel, a tribute to these actors. Everyone else belts their lines as if delivering Neil Simon-style zingers -- not so easy to do with lines like, "Speaking of pricks, I met a guy!" Steven Kemp's set is dominated by a giant racetrack board, an odd decision since the action never returns to that location after the first scene; however, it does allow him to deliver a series of zipper headlines, about the fraught state of the world, during the scene changes. Rodrigo Nuñoz's costumes are unusually thoughtful, for example drawing subtle distinctions between Jamie and Ted's personal styles; the glittery, all-too-revealing minidress for Gillian tells you plenty about her. Daisy Long's lighting is solid and Luqman Brown's sound design includes many well-executed effects, including a post-time trumpet, gunshots, horse's hooves, and a bit of a Rachel Maddow broadcast; he also provides some attractive between-scenes music. Still, it's never clear why anyone would want to spend nearly two hours with this noisy, shallow bunch. This Space Between Us has no intermission; if it did, you might be sorely tempted to put some space between you and them. --David Barbour 
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