Lovers and others might want to steer clear of “Your Mother’s Copy of the Kama Sutra.” Starting with its icky title — the linking of one’s progenitor to an infamous sex guide — Kirk Lynn’s new play may be the very antithesis of romance.
Things begins promisingly enough, with the scantily clad Carla (Zoë Sophia Garcia) taunting her blindfolded, shirtless boyfriend, Reggie (Chris Stack). Believe it or not, this leads to a marriage proposal, with Carla insisting that she won’t say yes until the two delve into their sexual pasts.
More than a little kinkiness is involved.
“Wow. So that’s a strap-on,” says a dazed Reggie after an invasive encounter.
As their sharing progresses, we see some of the darker sides of sexuality, including a horrific, hauntingly re-enacted incident of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a family member.
Weaving in and out of this Playwrights Horizons world premiere is a secondary plotline involving a rebellious teenage girl, Bernie (Ismenia Mendes), and the shy classmate, Sean (Maxx Brawer), who has a severe crush on her. His friend Cole’s (Will Pullen) solution is to slip a dose of the date rape drug Rohypnol into Bernie’s drink during a party. This subplot’s relationship to the main action becomes clear only in Act 2.
The playwright, a member of the Texas-based theater troupe Rude Mechs, is clearly trying to explore the boundaries of intimacy in relationships. But nothing here feels convincing, including the friendship between Reggie and his ex-girlfriend, Tony (Rebecca Henderson, in the production’s sharpest performance), whom he asks to be the best man at his wedding. Director Anne Kauffman’s diffuse staging seems mainly intent on exploiting the play’s more lurid aspects, though the actors strip no further than their underwear.
Ultimately, “Kama Sutra” devolves into a dreary father-daughter domestic drama, never living up to its provocative themes. By the time it’s over, you’ll feel like you’ve been on a bad date that’s gone on far too long.