But the play is levied by the script's at times extraordinary sense of contemporary and idiomatic syntax, allowing the audience to silmultaneously laugh and remain disturbingly conscious of the play's powerful undercurrents. These subtle strata are masterfully manipulated by Smith. The company's outstanding timing, delivery and preparation demonstrate a rare and tasty execution of the mutual vision of several talented artists. Yet in this house of uncommon relationships, few people would consider asking a question that would allow for such a straightforward response. It is hard to imagine a family more cerebral than the Pascals.
Every comment is charged with cynicism, sarcasm and aggressive humor.
Theirs is a world which exudes the role of fantasy at its core, with visceral descriptive stories composing the essence of the characters' sense of identity. The focus of this conflicted household is conspicuously apparent from the first scene, but it is not so much the sibling incest that drives the energy of the play as the societal and familial tension the situation creates. The scenes between Jackie and Marty are disturbingly convincing, and their respective responses to the pressures of exonerating their forbidden love affair take the play to its most unusual component, the refreshing and brilliantly executed role of the fianc e, Lesly, played by junior Sammy Tunis. He smells like champagne. Tunis's remarkable skill with this role makes her immediately irresistible to both the audience and the family.