BWW Reviews: JANUARY JOINER is Long on Hope, Short on Results at Long Wharf Theatre

We totally get it that American society is obsessed with image and constantly knocked down like bowling pins with foods that have taste (i.e., sugar, salt and fat). Even the information on the wall which leads to the theatre and the program bombard us with statistics about obesity and quotes such as "Food has replaced sex as a source of guilt." If the playwright wants to pose the question of whether people can be happy being fat, there must be a bigger and more diversified group of spa guests and more discussion. Finally, Terry's physical and emotional change in a matter of two months just doesn't ring true. The reason people usually fail to keep off the weight they lose is that the results take long, low fat, low carb food is boring, and they lose motivation. That kind of change may only happen if she could sustain that weight loss for months, or even years. And many people who have to watch their intake because of medical reasons, such as Terry, are unhappy because they can't eat the foods that give them comfort. Back to the table with the script!

January Joiner runs Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m., Wednesdays at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 3:00 and 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. through February 10. Tickets are $45.00 and $65.00. Ironically, the next play is Sam Shepard's Curse of the Starving Class. For tickets, call 203-787-4282 or visit www.longwharf.org.

Sherry Shameer Cohen is an award winning blogger and parachute journalist who is always looking for more challenging work. Her articles and photos have appeared in Connecticut Magazine, Greenwich Magazine, Stamford Plus, The Advocate, Greenwich Time, The Minuteman, Connecticut Jewish Ledger, The Jewish Chronicle, The Jewish Press, The New Jewish Voice, and various daytime magazines. She has stage managed, designed flyers, programs and props and reviewed theatre for the Connecticut Jewish Ledger, Theater Inform and New England Entertainment Digest. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, Ken, and her two little drama kings, Alexander Seth Cohen and Jonathan Ross Cohen.

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