Take one jittery groom, yet another jittery groom, a determined mother, a lusting father, one make-up happy granny, and three bridesmaids with issues of their own. Put them all together and onstage, and what do you get? A madcap little comedy called BLISS.

Not the best rendering one would hope for, as the seams do show some in this production, BLISS hints at the greater comic potential of the piece. The problem is a central one, however. Where the script should rely on wit and irony, sight gags and old one-liners are offered instead. Then, there’s the predictability factor. The only "new" element here is that the marriage scheduled to take place is a same-sex one. This tidbit has nothing to do with the conflict of the story, and seems to have been devised more as a ploy to credibly introduce men in gowns and pumps than for any dramatic purpose. Certainly, there is no subplot of homophobia tackled here. On the contrary, everyone except the two nervous grooms is eager for the union to take place.

A little more rehearsal, a tighter script and some genuine sense of conflict could have made BLISS one happy event.

- Kessa De Santis -