Lola Needs Some Prozac

S. Epatha Merkerson has us all fooled. Her no nonsense, tough talking police officer on Law & Order is the polar opposite of Lola, the fragile, unfulfilled heroine of Come Back, Little Sheba. Talk about depressing. The slightly preachy tone of the opening exposition regarding 12-step programs creaks under the weight of modern audience’s overexposure to Oprah and Dr. Phil. But the shows slow burn catches you by surprise, and the inevitable confrontation in the second act is devastating and truly frightening. Kevin Anderson’s Doc didn’t really register for me until the second act, when the dark edges of his character really began to show, but he eventually won me over as well. The set is impressive yet appropriate with an equally subtle, but beautiful lighting design. Some nice eye candy as well (the milkman and Turk) backed by strong performances from the young supporting cast. Still, the surprise for me was Merk’s characterization of Lola, sad and trapped, yet able to offer the audience flashes of an unfettered past life marked by youthful naiveté and idealism.