Hi Everbody

I want to share the review I wrote of Mark's play:



"Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks" is without a doubt the funniest
play I've ever seen. It's a comic exploration of the way that two
people with a lot of neuroses can connect with each other. It's also
extremely touching (bring tissues), especially in the second half.
The first half is pretty much pure comedy loaded with outrageously
funny one-liners, as the characters meet, get on each other's
nerves, argue and make up, and gradually discover that they're
developing the most neurotic friendship since The Odd Couple. Mark
Hamill and Polly Bergen both give excellent performances, and the
audiences I saw it with (I've seen it 7 times and was never bored
for a second) responded very enthusiastically to their performance.

The plot is not complex, and there are a couple of plot developments
that you can see coming a mile off, but that doesn't spoil the fun.
The point of the play is not so much the events as the sparkling
dialogue and high-energy performances, which are absolutely loaded
with surprises, and the joy of seeing the characters gradually
emerge from the walls of BS that each one has thrown up to defend
him or herself from the world.

Mark Hamill plays Michael Minetti, a dance instructor with a
truckload of issues who uses manic behavior, a hair-trigger temper
and an over-the-top sense of humor to defend himself against
genuinely connecting with people. His student, the retired
schoolteacher Lily Harrison, is hiding behind a slew of falsehoods
and fantasies. The story is about the journey the two of them take
to meet in the middle and form a genuine and tender friendship.

It's strange that some critics have mischaracterized this as a play
meant only for older people; friends of mine as young as 18 have
seen it and think it's hysterical, and anyway the play isn't really
about issues of old age. It's true that most of Lily's excuses for
retreating from life are based on her age, but you can just tell
that if she didn't have that as an excuse, she'd find something
else. The play is about friendship, and about how people who are far
from perfect can nevertheless connect with each other and help each
other reconnect with life. The story is all the more touching
because Michael and Lily connect not through the usual sex-and-
romance route but through pure friendship. Sure, we know what the
end destination is -- surely Lily will quit making excuses and re-
engage with life, and surely Michael will find his way out of his
shell, become less abrasive and let himself show genuine caring for
Lily -- but getting there is all the fun.

The play is written and performed with an emphasis on high-energy
comedy, especially in the first half. The second half is also very
funny, but with tender moments and deeper meaning slipped in amidst
the laughs, building up to the very moving ending. The final scene
stayed in my mind long after I'd left the theater. If you're looking
for a heavy psychological play loaded with hyper-intellectual
symbolism, this definitely isn't it. But if you want to laugh till
your sides hurt, cry a little bit, and come away feeling wonderful,
you really shouldn't miss Six Dance Lessons.