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The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, Review by Tony Annicone

Wellesley Players’ second show of their 87th season is “The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife”, an adult comedy, by Charles Busch. It follows the lives of Ira and Marjorie Taub and focuses on the burgeoning midlife crisis of an upper-class, upper-crust, Upper-West-Side woman who fights to better herself through frequent night time visits to museums and theaters. Her neuroses about mediocrity reach a head when she pitches a fit at a Disney store, resulting in substantial damage to the merchandise and her psyche.

To add to Marjorie’s woes her childhood friend Lee reappears. Fascinating and attractive, Lee seems to have led a life Marjorie could only dream about. Lee’s “joie de vivre” lifts Marjorie from the depths. Lee becomes like Sheridan Whiteside in “Man Who Came to Dinner”, becoming entrenched in the Taub household as a permanent guest, affecting their marriage.

Adding to the fun of the evening is Frieda, Marjorie’s mother who is intestinally challenged and the Iraqui Doorman, Mohammed who may seem to be a nice young man but has experience and insights that only a life in the war-torn deserts of Iraq can provide. Director Joe Stallone picks the best five people for these roles, keeping the audience in stitches all night long.

To check out the rest of Tony’s review, visit his website here.