Dex And Julie - at the Arden - mostly cheers

Took my wife to the Arden Theater Saturday for their latest world premier - Dex and Julie Sittin' In A Tree by Bruce Graham.

Briefly, the acting was professional and competent, set design wonderful, a professional and tight script, direction was fine. Length was perfect at 1 hour and 45 minutes. It's a good show although for most of the first act it didn't appeal to me.

Dex and Julie is a show written for the Arden and its clientele - sophisticated, urban and urbane, clever (there is a lot of clever writing in the script). It attempted to appeal to the downtown Philly crowd - and that's where it almost lost me. I don't relate in any way to the famous economist (Dex) - and the very successful professor (Julie) - both late-middle-aged, childless, living well, and successful in everything - well not quite.

I don't like Dex. I don't like men who don't eventually want to settle down and have a family. I'm not saying every man should (probably better that this guy didn't) but I don't relate to a man who can grow into his late 40s, have lots of sex (much of it with young women), and never feel an overwhelming desire for children and family. Also a heterosexual woman who never feels this way is so far from nature that I find her un-realistic. Maybe Bruce Graham intended to set me up like this.

This show takes the first of 2 radical turns that make it suddenly interesting at its mid-point. It humanizes Julie, and sets the stage for an interesting act 2. What was a light, fluffy sit-com is suddenly not light at all. This is noted in the Philadelphia Inquirer review as well.

Then there is a second radical turn in act 2. The Inquirer did not note this. And I'm not sure the target audience will like it. I loved it. I cannot say what happens because it's a spoiler - but I can say it's not politically correct - and it's not normal for the sterotypical urban and urbane, well-educated, successful downtown woman. This turns Julie into a real woman (although dangerously calculating - and very much too cold for my wife).

I never liked Dex. But his character is reflective of a great many successful men today - it's all about him. I came to feel for Julie and see her humanity and true femininity (not the ideological and un-natural femininity we've been exposed to by the media and academia for the past 3 decades).

Bruce Graham is a real pro. The Arden is a very good theater. This will leave you with a lot to think about. And so I'd recommend this show.