Dr. Oronofsky (blandly played by Marq Del Monte), a horny psychiatrist who can’t keep his fingers off his female patients, encounters Kitty (an outstanding Heidi Fielek), a stripper who wants to be loved for her mind. Fielek takes the stereotypical stripper character and ratchets it up a few notches with her combination of beauty and talent.
Oronofsky’s Pygmalionesque plan is to turn the stripper into a respectable woman. The psychiatrist blunders when he meets his nephew’s fiancée, Bonnie (aptly played by Colette Freedman), and turns a respectable woman into an S&M dominatrix.
Oronofsky must explain to his nephew, Herman (a hilarious Danny Lippin), that he’s deflowered his virginal girlfriend before their upcoming wedding day. If the plot is starting to sound like a “Saturday Night Live” sketch gone wrong, give yourself a booby prize.
Much to Herman’s chagrin, his beloved uncle marries his betrothed. Lippin is a natural comedian. He delivers some of his stale lines with verve (i.e. chutzpah). His comic timing is impeccable.
Meanwhile, executive assistant Myrna (Alycia Tracy) pines after the psychiatrist. Tracy, an accomplished actress, uses several different accents and outfits to strut her stuff, figuratively and literally.
It can be argued that Mark Troy is a talented playwright, as he has a fair list of accomplishments and awards. “Paging Dr. Chutzpah” has some funny comic moments, but it doesn’t gel into a cohesive piece. It is unoriginal even by Fox sitcom standards.
Sidewalk Studio Theatre is located at 4150 Riverside Drive in Toluca Lake. Show times: Fri & Sat, 8 p.m.; Sun, 3 p.m. Tickets: $20. For more information, call (818) 558-5702 or visit www.sidewalkstudiotheatre.com.
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