Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight

Funny how much trouble a few misplaced words can cause. In Theatre Q's slick-as-lube production of Peter Ackerman's comedy, great sex turns bad when Nancy lets slip an offensive comment while in the throes of passion with boyfriend Ben. What begins as a duet about relationships, sexuality, and race between two confused lovers soon becomes a six-voice fugue when Nancy's best friend, Grace, Grace's hit-man squeeze, Gene, Grace's shrink, Mark, and Mark's doddering bedfellow, Mr. Abramson, all weigh in on Nancy and Ben's problem. Lickety-split dialogue, quirky characters, and insights into human scruples that run more than skin deep save Ackerman's scenario from the sitcom category. The geriatric jokes regarding Abramson do grow a little old after a while. But intense and hilarious performances from Theatre Q's cast -- especially Robert Anthony Peters as tough-guy-with-a-heart Gene -- create an evening of smart theater that is as thought-provoking as it is fun.