Frankie and Johnny Are Married

An absolutely fearless enterprise by all involved, "Frankie & Johnnie Are Married" is the ultimate actor's nightmare: not only that the curtain goes up and you're naked and you don't know your lines, but that the entire production is collapsing around you...and you're still naked.

Writer-Director Michael Pressman expertly brings each scene right to the brink and then expertly pulls it back from the abyss, thanks to his co-star (and real-life wife) Lisa Chess and their gutsy co-star Alan Rosenberg. In particular (ask anybody who's tried this), they've worked through how to a) act natural; b) act like they're acting; and c) blur the line in all the right places.

This is a hoot for anybody who's ever done Equity waiver theatre, low-budget movies, or worked with their relatives and friends -- and Pressman, Chess, and Rosenberg have the gall to do all three at once.

For those who enjoyed "Waiting for Guffman" and "Noises Off," this splendidly warm, sharply funny, but somehow intimate and upbeat comedy-drama is a perfect example of why everybody loves show biz -- and hates it -- at the same time.