"Life (x) 3" runs the emotional gamut

Yasmina Reza is a French playwright and novelist, based in Paris. Ever wished you could re-do a moment of your life, re-live an evening so you could say or do something differently? And say that you had responded differently, or possessed a different attitude. Would that have had a domino effect, changing the entire situation?

The set-up for Yasmina Reza's mathematically named play, "Life (x) 3," sounds like an equation itself: it's one evening in the lives of two Parisian couples and three different ways it could've turned out.

Or, maybe it's just three variations on a theme: a look at how the same characters in the same circumstances might react differently. The ads for the play say, "Life sometimes gives you a do-over," which leads me to wonder if this is a sophisticated version of "Groundhog Day" with all the characters being given multiple opportunities to correct a horrendous evening. It's hard to tell; we're not given any clues on how to interpret the three successive scenes.

First we're introduced to Sonia (Beth Hylton) and Henry (John Kooi), a young couple with a six-year-old son who doesn't want to fall asleep.

Inez (Suzanne Lewin) and Hubert (Bruce Somerville), a more mature couple, are invited to their apartment for dinner, but, getting their dates mixed up, show up a day early. But as they're arguing on the street before arriving, Hubert reveals himself to be a pompous blowhard. He claims that Sonia and Henry will soon be "licking my boots." His wife, a sophisticated woman, is concerned about a run in her stocking.

What follows, then, are three different scenarios as to how the evening with the unexpected guests could've progressed. One has Hubert coming on to Sonia, another has all four dissecting each other like a highbrow version of "The Jerry Springer Show." As the alcohol flows, inhibitions are shed, and things get very ugly very quickly.

Hubert says things like "What we need are women we can turn off once in a while" and snaps at his wife, "Don't interrupt when you don't know what you're talking about." He even advises a depressed man that the thing that will get him out of his depression is "willpower, willpower, willpower." He takes malicious pleasure in attacking others verbally and making them squirm.

Somerville plays Hubert as an arrogant jerk so well that it's very easy to hate the character. He doesn't overplay him, but with all his bullying and swaggering he nearly sucks up all the air on the stage. The play seems almost lopsided because Hubert is so demanding and self-centered much of the time.

Most of the drama in "Life (x) 3" is cerebral. And with the exception of the brief street scene in the beginning, the action all takes place in Sonia and Henry's modern living room, which starts to feel very claustrophobic, especially when everyone starts sniping at each other, any pretense of civility long abandoned.

The play is an actor's dream, because the characters express so many different emotions. For example, Kooi, as Henry, is, in turn, obsequious, fawning, playful, panicky, confident and reflective. All the actors get a chance to run through the entire playbook of human emotions.

Lewin is on-target as the sophisticated wife of a man who mistreats her. She often comes across as the voice of reason in the play, the one character that balances everything. Hylton, on the other hand, is playful, indignant, nervous, confused, flirty and proud. Is she a supportive wife, or does she resent her husband for not being assertive enough? Does she find Hubert attractive, or does she truly think him arrogant?

This production, by Gulfshore Playhouse, is also full of questions and contradictions. It feels slight, partially because it runs under 90 minutes, but it's also heavy with the emotional battering the characters give each other. I couldn't tell if it was Kristen Coury's direction that made us feel removed from the characters, or the script. She's cast the play wonderfully, though, with a quartet of quality performers.

Scenic designer Cecilia Balbiani created a European apartment with clean lines and modern, red couches. And Jacqueline Morelisse hit the right notes with the costumes, which are for the most part understated but appropriate for each character.

But the musical interludes between the scenes felt jarring and didn't fit the tone of the play, despite the appropriate lyrics.

"Life (x) 3" is an interesting exercise for a playwright and for actors, but I found myself wishing I could've felt more invested in the characters. It's not a masterpiece equal to Reza's Tony Award-winning "ART," but did cause me to continue mulling it over long after the actors took their bows.

It's good to see the Foulds Theatre being used more; it's a perfect venue for small, intimate productions. Kudos to Gulfshore Playhouse for bringing more professional, challenging theater to the area.

If you go

>>What: Gulfshore Playhouse's production

of "Life (x) 3" >>When: 8 p.m. through Oct. 13 >>Where: Alliance for the Arts Foulds Theatre,

10091 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers >>Cost: $35 and up

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>When: 8 p.m. through Oct. 13 >>Where: Norris Community Center,

755 8th Street South, Naples >>Cost: $35 and up >>Info: Call (866) 811-4111 or go to

www.GulfshorePlayhouse.org