THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

To begin with, it's set in Hollywood, where the two stars of the costume-drama film Kissing Tuscany spend their every off-camera moment squabbling. Rapper wannabe Conor Williams affects a streetwise swagger, while London-schooled Kate Cunningham, hired to lend highbrow cred to the star vehicle, longs to go home. When the movie proves successful, producer Laura Golden persuades the reluctant duo to work together again. The action-flick Zombie Chronicles earns an oscar for Kate's mentor—Herb Corningfield, cast as the villain—and a song-and-dance trifle called The Next Thing also boosts its leading players' careers, but when director Sam Donovan quits to pursue artistic ambitions, their next movie flops at the box office. Then Sam offers Conor and Kate roles in his low-budget indie romcom, Afterglow, and—you guessed it—everybody ends up wiser and happier.

So do we, thanks to Steinhagen and Marra's slick execution of an undeniably retro boy-meets-girl plot, seamlessly integrating catchy melodies and smartcracking repartee—the sly tacit in "Shakespeare, Shaw and ( pause ) Pinter," for example, or the unexpected turn of phrase giving the show its title. What ultimately wins us over, however, is not the Cole Porter-esque rhymes of "The Best Ideas ( Happen When You're Drunk )" nor the obligatory show-biz snark ( "You could eat a can of Kodak and puke a better film" ), but our emotional investment in lovers who require all of act one to discover they are good for one another and all of act two to work up the nerve to do something about it.

Fortunately, Courtney Jones and Christopher Selefski are instantly charming, with a cuddliness increased by their unconventional Stiller-and-Meara physical pairing. Joseph Stearns as would-be auteur Sam, Eleanor Katz as big-wheel Laura and Vincent Lonergan as naughty geezer Herb provide muscular support—but watch for Elizabeth Bagby's scene-stealing trio of female armpieces sporting three dialects—French, British and Fry. This marshmallow-fluffy Signal Ensemble romp, tucked snugly into a corner of the North Center district and running a brisk two hours-plus, could become the perfect date-night play for our belated spring.