"Sexy Laundry"

August 30, 2018 — For the next to the last play of their 85th season, Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire chose "Sexy Laundry" by Michele Riml. Kenn McLaughlin directed this production for the Players. Scenic design was by Ryan McGettigan and costumes by Bethany Mullins.

Alice (Bridget Beirne) has bought the book "Sex for Dummies" and has booked a room at a swank hotel for herself and her husband, Henry (Tom Frey), hoping to rekindle the romance in their 20-plus-year marriage. The setting is a hotel room dominated by a huge bed. The language gets pretty salty and some of the action more than a little suggestive, giving the play an adult rating, but the laughs are non-stop in this well-acted presentation by two of the Players' best actors.

Early in the play, Alice urges the reluctant Henry to try out various scenarios and fantasies described in her heavily bookmarked copy of "Sex for Dummies" designed to bring back the excitement in a marriage of middle-aged couples for whom the spark has gone out. The dialog is hilarious and the situations ridiculous. The play becomes a bit more serious as it progresses, as each partner blames the other for the boredom in their marriage.

Are these common problems for long-married couples? Many critics say Riml hits the nail on the head. When she wrote the play, she was much younger than her characters. Asked how she accomplished such an accurate portrayal of middle-aged couples, she said "I'm married. I can project." Project she did, with delightful results.