The octopus proves to be an apt metaphor of the talented Delaney Britt Brewer’s ambitious but wildly uneven play An Octopus Love Story (an explanation of the title will not be divulged here). Suffice to say, the eight suction tentacles that the mollusk uses to ensnare its prey symbolizes both the dependence and destructiveness inherent in human relationships.

The play opens with two frustrated office workers a little tipsy after dinner; Marc (Eric Kuehnemann) is trying to advance a relationship with Jane (Kelli Holsopple) who eventually must disclose she is gay and partnered in order to dissuade him. The next scene finds Danny (Josh Tyson) and childhood friend Alex (Michael Cyril Creighton) discussing an idea that Alex has for the publication he works. Using the issue of same-sex marriage as a civil rights mandate, Alex wants an openly gay man and woman to marry and cohabitate until gay marriage is legalized (they could then divorce). Any partners of the couple would have to consent to the experiment. Alex insists Danny become the man and unbeknownst to her, Jane has been selected as the woman. She has been selected by her partner (and main source of income) Tosh (Jenny Greer) a publicist friend of Alex’s. The publicists’ mutual ambition is matched only by their aggressive political agenda. Both Jane and Danny are steadfastly against the idea and an initial meeting between the four principles is disastrous with all parties behaving badly.  The premise is implausible and at best farfetched with both the publicists coming off as self-serving caricatures. Nothing seems to gel and the scenes are static.

Where the play does find its footing is in the budding relationship between Danny and Jane. As two wandering lonely-hearts (Danny is a waiter; Jane an insecure office worker), they slowly start to warm up to each other and surprisingly the idea of the trumped-up relationship itself (“Nothing is worse than apathy”, Danny says at one point). Even as they become media pawns (Andrew Dawson is excellent in a cameo as a Christian journalist with the usual Biblical ax to grind), the couple’s mutual neediness and codependency gradually win us over. In one of Britt Brewer’s more clever conceits, Jane and Danny act out a scene while watching Come September a 1961 movie with Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida (they later switch parts to hilarious effect).
 

It soon becomes apparent that the relationship is not enough for either Danny or Jane. Despite professing a deep affection for each other and a satisfying sexual life both come to realize is that passion is needed as well. A passion that is found in only the same sex; despite all the “correct’ feelings they are having in their “faux-hetero” bond. The couple comes to recognize that they are better off with their own sex even if the connection is flawed or unsatisfactory.

Britt Brewer’s quick wit and smooth turn of a phrase masks the facile story line; and while her sympathy for her emotionally handicapped characters seems genuine director Mike Klar is unable to locate a correct tone to compensate for the plot. Kelli Holsopple and Josh Tyson are very appealing as the leads and Jenny Greer wrings out some sympathy for the power lesbian Tosh. Michael Cyril Creighton, however can do little with the stereotypically bitchy, alcoholic character of Alex. The interesting set by Brian Sidney Bembridge has the walls of the apartment wrapped in plastic symbolizing the emotional isolation of the characters.

Delaney Britt Brewer (a member of Ensemble Studio Theater’s Youngblood Playwrights program) while not scoring a hit with An Octopus Love Story is nonetheless a writer to keep an eye on.

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