3

FRIDAY

Voyeurs will be disappointed by the tame dyke drama of Girl on Girl, which offers none of the salaciousness suggested by its title. In fact, Girl on Prozac might be a welcome sequel to this quasicomedy, in which valiant young Monica (Adrienne Amato, also the playwright) barely survives the emotional snake pit that has become her life. After she comes out, Monica is dumped by her brassy best friend, her wimpy girlfriend, and her passive-aggressive family. Amato’s fresh voice and risible wit lift Girl on Girl from the too-earnest abjection of many queer coming-of-age stories, and she’s well served by a fine cast. But her storytelling is undercut by a reliance on sitcom-style gimmicks, and her characters sometimes lapse into a compendium of clichés. Overall, however, the snappy direction and dialogue make this production from the ACTual Reality Theatre Company a pleasure to watch, with moments of real poignancy regularly stealing through the script. Tonight’s performance begins at 8 p.m. at the Playbill Cafe, 1409 14th St. NW. $15. (202) 265-3055. (Neda Ulaby)