University of Virginia Library

Extra-Marital Fling

The play concerns the sexual
misadventures of Barney Cashman,
a fat, middle-aged restaurateur
who wakes up one morning and
realizes that nothing exciting has
ever happened to him. To try to
remedy this, he decides to have one
- just one - extra-marital fling. In
each of the three acts he nervously
tries to seduce three different
females, of course unsuccessfully
each time.

He tries first with an experienced,
gum-chewing customer who
wants less talk and more action.
When she isn't looking at her
watch, she is complaining to Barney
about being out of cigarettes.
Throughout it all, Barney seems to
be more interested in socializing
than in seducing.

There is little to criticize in this
opening segment. As it nears its
end, Barney understands why he
couldn't do it with Elaine in a scene
which has much dramatic poignance.
Also, there is a distinct
originality to the character of
Elaine, which gives the extended
sketch a certain freshness.

The second time out Barney
goes after a "hip" young actress
who is just as interested in smoking
as Elaine. Only in Bobbi's case it
isn't cigarettes, but rather marijuana.
While Barney becomes increasingly
impatient, she relates to
him all sorts of weird experiences
she claims to have had.

This act is much less satisfying
than the first. Not only is it
less humorous, but Mr. Simon does
not advance his dramatic purpose
(i.e., Barney's realization that there
can be no satisfaction in his sexual
wanderings) any further than he did
in the previous episode.