Act I opens in the glitzy East side apartment of David and Barbara Kahn. The trendy, successful Manhattan art dealers are discussing their very fruitful connection with one of the "great" and "bankable" artists of the day, Maurice Koenig. This 98-year-old superstar artist, reminiscent of Marc Chagall, does not appear until the second act. He will be the answer to their yet unknown major problem and unexpressed prayers.
The Kahns are also unwillingly awaiting a visit from Barbara's sister, a nerdy Trudy Heyman, and her uptight CPA husband, Martin.
Trudy and Martin have been burdened with the sister's aged mother, Sophie Greengrass, an 80-year-old chronic complainer. The off-stage rebellion of the Heyman's college-age daughter, who is "living for sex" with two men, has resulted in their decision to leave Sophie with the Kahns.
The Heymans feel that caring for Sophie has resulted in insufficient time to devote to the unseen daughter. They have decided the Kahns can care for Sophie while they go to Buffalo to rescue their daughter. Sophie appears at the apartment door at the end of Act I, outraged, disheveled, complete with walker and the worst wig ever to appear on a supposedly old lady.
Act II opens a week later, when Sophie's infuriating whims have driven Barbara to distraction. Complications are multiplied when David arrives with nonagenerian Maurice to find Barbara struggling with her half-clad mother. As David lugs Sophie off to her bedroom, she glimpses the silver-thatched Koenig. When she reappears, sans walker, the still inappropriate wig smoothed and puffed, she has a gleam in her eye and cutesy words falling demurely from her lips.
From there on, sex has geriatric ramifications and the bug responsible seems to have bitten almost everyone. It's giggle time, impure parody. First-time playwright Andrew Bergman, who wrote the lustingly funny movies "Blazing Saddles" and "Fletch," knows the words to make wisecracks.
*Peggy O'Hara, "'Social Security' Is Laughable Fun," Azusa Herald, September 15, 1994.
I played Barbara Kahn.