By: Darryl Reilly
“You’re fucking Uncle Charles?!,” “Technically, she was killed by the bookcase,” and “Was I too forward?” are among the countless situational rejoinders which bring down the house in playwright Jacob Iglitzin’s riotous Psychopathia Paschalis: An Easter Comedy. We are joyfully in the subversive terrain of Joe Orton during this fast-paced black farce. Sexual fluidity, adultery, murder, financial chicanery, and assorted familial revelations are all mirthfully depicted as inept and loquacious police inspector P.J. Clarke (!) arrives to sort everything out.
In the present at their Connecticut estate, we meet the Edward Albee-type patrician, middle-aged, and boozy Mr. and Mrs. Wallace who are hosting a weekend holiday gathering. Their medical student son arrives with his “special friend” who shockingly turns out to be a man. Then comes Mrs. Wallace’s feisty corporate executive sister, her bombastic husband, their mild son, and his Sopranos-style ballsy Instagram-influencer girlfriend. What could go wrong?
Mr. Iglitzin spins out his uproarious, well-plotted, and offbeat scenario through an exquisite command of dramatic writing. The dialogue is punchy, the sharp characters are appealingly outrageous, and the twists are exhilarating. Psychopathia Paschalis: An Easter Comedy is an outstanding contemporary comedic play.
Director Christian D’Alessandro’s stupendous physical staging is gloriously in Noises Off mode. Slamming doors, pratfalls, fierce slaps, and a pivotal armoire all are on hilarious display. Then there is the precise placement of many of the cast of 11 often at the same time on the contained playing area, all of whom are possessed of superior comic timing.
Lanky and mellow Jakob Carpenter and animated Joseph Vayalumkal are priceless as a bickering and lusty gay male couple. Wickedly haughty Meredith Stracar brings Marian Seldes-style grandeur to the domineering matriarch role. As the imbibing father, Tom Ciorciari recalls Golden Age of Hollywood dazzling character acting with his fervent performance. Employing a Tennessee Williams-type drawl, Matthew Conkling is an antic whirlwind as the ludicrous detective.
Gutsy Cleopatra Boudreau is marvelously fierce as the steely sister. Andreas Ktorides is delightfully in overdrive as her blustery husband. Bespectacled Gene Soo is slyly dry as their softspoken son. Magnetic Riley Liburd’s big hair and skintight outfits enhance her grand turn as his hardboiled girlfriend. Beaming Madelynn Sizer’s frenetic IRS investigator appearances verge on scene stealing. Physically imposing and deep-voiced Prentice Myles as a gruff down-to-earth sergeant injects skewed realism into the hijinks.
Kirk Florendo’s fabulous detailed scenic design of a few separate wall panels, key vintage furnishings, and an offstage staircase all connote spaciousness on the small stage. The perpetually sticking front door and occasionally shaky walls get a lot of laugh-inducing mileage.
Fight director Jo DiNozzi’s vigorous flourishes add to the merriment. Two men suggestively rolling around only in their underwear are a highlight of Willow Funkhouser’s tastefully erotic intimacy coordination. Lighting designer Michele Torres’s varying sedate hues are the perfect accompaniment to the actions. The performance under review was efficiently overseen by stage manager Cameron Hookassian.
Wild and irreverent, Psychopathia Paschalis: An Easter Comedy is possibly the funniest show currently on the New York stage. It is presented by the Apotheosis Theatre Group as part of the Chain Theatre’s Factory Series of new works.
Psychopathia Paschalis: An Easter Comedy (September 9-13, 2026)
Apotheosis Theatre Group
Chain Theatre, 312 West 36th Street, in Manhattan
For tickets, visit www.apotheosistheatregroup.org
Running time: one hour and 50 minutes including one intermission