“MERRY ME” A RUN AWAY SEX FARCE AT DIVERSIONARY.

Did you ever go to a play expecting one thing and half way through realized it was something altogether different? 

When I attended “Merry Me” written by Hansol Jung and directed by Vanessa Stalling, at Diversionary Theatre, San Diego’s oldest LGBTQIA (SINCE 1986)  Theatre on Park Blvd,  I kept thinking, “What the F”!

Agamemnon? The Trojan Battle? Tony Kushner? Shakespeare?

Greek Mythology left my gray matter after college more than 50 years ago. But just to follow the dots, we do meet an Agamemnon family… only after Tony Kushner’s Angel (Michael Amira Temple) introduces us to them… and later on she has much more to say. 

Then there are the Memnon’s: General Aga Memnon (Troy Tinker Elliot almost a cartoon like character), Mrs. Sappho Memnon (Mak Shealy), Mrs. Clytemnestra Memnon (Jacquelyn Ritz) and    Private Willy Memnon (Coleman Ray Clark). Others include Dr. Jess O’Nope  (Andréa Agosto), the psychologist, they say who was married over 40 times and Lieutenant Shane Horn ( Winnie Beasley).

All the merry’s  in “Merry Me”  take place on an  unnamed island during the Trojan conflict in an Army Camp where there is a major power failure. Communication from one part of the base to another is done the old fashioned way; cups and a wire. 

Moving along, it seems that Lieutenant Horn was just released from the brig after serving time for seducing Clytemnestra, the General's wife.  

Horne wants to sign her therapist friend Dr. Jess O’Nope ( a very convincing Agosto) in a plot to pretend to have had conversion therapy to become heterosexual in order to satisfy all the soldier’s wives on the base. 

In the meantime, Willy Memnon (sweet and bewildered, the object of everyone’s jokes and straight) has married Sapph. When she meets Shane, all bets are off between herself and Willy. What to do

In this 90 min rom com where everyone gets to have their merry’s, do you think there is an underlying message here when Kushner’s Angel tells Jess to kill half of the human race (read men) with a hatchet. 

For this reviewer “Merry Me” is more of a runaway sex farce that goes off the charts so far it almost sinks from the weight of its own smugness. Between Greek Mythology, Shakespeare, pop culture, Tony Kushner, and, according to director Vanessa Stalling, “our struggles to find true satisfaction”,  I must say, it just was not my cup of tea.  

While the acting overall is wonderful, especially Michael Amira Temple’s angel) and the sets (Mathys Herbert), lighting design (Annelise Salazar) costumes design, (Clair Peterson) and sound designer/composer (Padre Crisafulli) are all in keeping with the play, it just did not resonate with me.

But that shouldn't stop you from seeing it. 

See you at the theatre.

When: Runs through June 15th. 7 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays

Where: Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Blvd., University Heights

Tickets: $11.50-$61.50

Photo: Talon Reed Cooper

Info: 619-220-0097

Online: diversionary.org