Arthur and Esther

Description
** [TWO STARS] In Ross Howard's monologue "Arthur and Esther," Tay Hanes plays the middle-aged Arthur Hewey, who considers killing himself after the death of his wife and the loss of his beloved job in a library. He has a duffel bag filled with various potentially life-snuffing devices, but can't decide which to use: Should he go with the rope or the gasoline? The play offers moments of humor and wit as Arthur weighs his options, although Hanes sometimes seems to be channeling Woody Allen more than creating an original character with neuroses of his own. The second act, which has a much darker tone, takes place on a lake later the same evening, as Arthur literally steps into his late wife's shoes, dressing himself in a full woman's getup and speaking in her voice as she contemplates her existence. Although Hanes tries earnestly to keep the momentum going as "Arthur and Esther" moves from comedy to pathos, he doesn't provide enough emotional range to make up for the script's vague, erratic writing. Howard's themes of suicide, depression and isolation are clearly not meant to be taken lightly, but once Hanes has donned an unkempt $2 wig and floral-print frock, it's hard not to spend the duration of the play giggling.--Amy Tratenberg, Morning Receptionist