by Tim Takechi

Dr. Givings considers himself to be a “man of science” who marvels at society’s latest technological innovations and their ability to aid his medical practice. Unbeknownst to the rational and kind-hearted doctor is that his latest creation, a state-of-the-art vibrating contraption, mysteriously keeps his female patients coming back to his office for more and more “treatment.”

Burien Actors Theatre’s newest production, just in time for Valentine’s Day, isn’t your usual sex comedy. Rather, “In the Next Room, or the vibrator play” by talented playwright Sarah Ruhl is a poignant exploration of not just sexuality, but of the people who engage in the still-taboo subject of sex.

The star of the show is Jessica Robins, who plays Dr. Givings’ (Wade Hicks) chatty yet deeply conflicted wife, Catherine Givings. Robins portrays an extroverted woman who wholeheartedly supports her husband’s business despite feeling more isolated from him each passing day.

Tensions in their marriage come to the surface one day when Mr. Daldry (Marc “Mok” Moser) pays Dr. Givings a visit to ask him to help cure his wife Sabrina’s (a fantastic Natalie Schmidt) so-called “hysteria.” It’s hard to say what exactly is causing her “hysteria,” but after a few trips to Dr. Giving’ operating theater (or, “in the next room” as the compassionate doctor nicknames), Sabrina starts to feel “cured” once she experiences the miracles of the doctor’s new vibrating device.

With the help of the quiet and stoic nurse Annie (Pepper Hambrick), Sabrina reluctantly strips down to her undergarments, lays down on a bed, and waits patiently as the device is administered to her intimate parts. Predictably, we all know how that turns out, as Sabrina experiences a level of physical pleasure she probably never knew was even possible. The word “orgasm” is never spoken in the play, but its presence hovers over everything from start to finish. A discerning 21st century audience is lucky to take for granted what these people in Victorian-era 1881 upper state New York did not.

Later we meet Elizabeth (Tiana Ross), an acquaintance of the Daldrys who is hired by Catherine to act as a wet nurse for her precocious newborn baby. Elizabeth, the only African-American character in the play, is already a mother of two but recently lost her third child to illness. As if being a black woman in post-Civil War America isn’t difficult enough, she also has to deal with the death of her infant. But she makes the best of it and develops a friendship with Catherine.

In the second act we are introduced to Leo Irving (Connor Kinzer), an aspiring painter who also is dealing with hysteria-type symptoms. It would not be fair to reveal how Dr. Givings delivers treatment for the young man, but suffice to say it proves we’ve come a long way in understanding the human body and medical practices we now consider to be quackery!

As Dr. Givings, Hicks gives us a man who is fastidiously rational in his approach to medicine, yet struggles to understand the irrational emotion of love. Ironically, he takes special care to address the needs of his female patients but neglects to pay adequate attention to his own wife. Robins delivers a performance that is a perfect balance of comedic shtick and thoughtful realism. We see a woman who longs for something that she cannot describe but knows in her heart she desperately needs it.

Directors Rochelle Flynn and Maggie Larrick chose a superb cast who takes the traditional conventions of a British comedy of manners and spins it into a touching study of sexuality, gender roles, social taboos and the need for human connection. The directing duo handles the subject with intelligence and dignity so that the material doesn’t ever become vulgar or disrespectful.

“In the Next Room, or the vibrator play” isn’t crude by any stretch of the imagination. Don’t let the title of the show turn you away from seeing it. The show isn’t so much about sex but the people who engage in sex. Above all things, this is a story about love. Go see it.

The costumes by Michele Graves invokes the period seamlessly while the set design by Albie Clementi gives us two beautifully contrasting rooms that make us feel both comfortably at home and nervously uneasy, just as all of us do waiting at the doctor’s office.

“In the Next Room, or the vibrator play” runs from Feb. 12 through March 6, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Cost is $20 for general admission, $17 for seniors and $10 for students. Feb. 13 is Half-Price Night and Feb. 14 is Seven Dollar Sunday. For tickets, special deals and other information, go to burienactorstheatre.org or call (206) 242-5180. The show is recommended for audiences ages 16 and up.