Skin Deep

She's learned to pepper her speech with jokes to hide insecurities about her weight and appearance, while he's almost dangerously forthright, saying everything that comes to his mind

They both know they're perfect for each other, and in time they come to admit it

They were set up on the date by Maureen's sister Sheila and her husband Squire, who are having problems of their own - Sheila undergoes a non-stop series of cosmetic surgeries to hang onto the attractive and much-desired Squire, who may or may not have long ago held designs on Maureen

With Maureen particularly vulnerable to both hurting and being hurt, the time is ripe for all these unspoken issues to bubble to the surface ...

CHARACTERS

MAUREEN MULLIGAN is a full-figured, earthy, attractive, lovable lonely heart. She lives in Forest Hills, Queens, is a devout Catholic and works as a dental hygienist

SHEILA WHITING (neé Mulligan) is Maureen's very beautiful sister, fashionable, flamboyant and full of advice. She grew up with Maureen and six more brothers and sisters in Queens and went on to marry old Connecticut money and move to New York's Upper East Side. She genuinely wants what she presumes is best for everyone

SQUIRE WHITING, JR. is a handsome "government relations" lawyer in the prestigious family firm. Full of charm and self-mocking humor. He doesn't take himself - or much else - too seriously

JOE SPINELLI is an endearing, unlucky, lonely guy from Bensonhurst

Single Set

REVIEWS

"Warm-hearted comedy ... the laughter was literally show-stopping. A winning play, with enough good-humored laughs and sentiment to keep you smiling from beginning to end" ~ TalkinBroadway

"It's a little Paddy Chayefsky, a lot Neil Simon and a quick-witted, intelligent voyage into the not-so-tranquil seas of middle-aged love and dating. The dialogue is crackling and hilarious; the plot simple but well-turned; the characters endearing and quirky; and lurking beneath the merriment is so much heartache that you'll stand up and cheer when the unlikely couple makes it to the inevitable final clinch" ~ NYTheatreWorld

"In a country obsessed with weight, plastic surgery, dating and infidelity, it is little wonder that a playwright has come along to tackle all of these sticky subjects in a new satirical comedy called Skin Deep. This particular production has the virtue of having vital components on firm ground. The crowd delighted in every one-liner the night I attended" - ELJArtsAnnex

"Laugh out loud hysterical" ~ CurtainUp