One of the most intriguing “comedies” (?) this theatergoer has ever experienced is currently playing in Rio de Janeiro until 30 JULY after a long tour which has taken it from Sao Paulo to Portugal to the United States and back to Brazil.

“Baixa Terapia” (Low Therapy) by Argentine playwright Matias Del Federico,42, and directed by Marco Antonio Pamio,61(a former student at Drama Studio ) has fragrances of Edward Albee´s “Who Is Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” Joao Bethencourt (Brazil´s answer to Moliere and America´s Neil Simon) and yet scenes out of the Brazilian sitcom “Sai do Baixo” (“Come out from Below”) or Brazil´s late, popular comedian Chico Anysio.

Intriguing was the initiative of Brazil super star Antonio Fagundes, who plays the often gross and cynical Ariel in the comedy, to allow the audience after the spectacle to discuss with the actors their questions about the psychodrama.

Three couples who never met before enter a psychologist´s office in what they expect to be therapy only to discover the shrink is absent.

But she has left café, water and whisky and six envelopes of specific instructions for all including the older couple, Ariel (Fagundes) and Paula (Mara Carvalho), the troubled Andrea (Ilana Kaplan) and her domineering husband Roberto (Fabio Esposito) as well the young, unmarried couple Estevao(Guilherme Magon) and Tamara (Alexandra Martins) to follow.

The queries in each envelope involve common problems whose attempted answers by the sextet result in laughter,heated discussions, crying, desperation and even near fist fights .

The subjects discussed include marriage, adultery and last but not least machismo and sexual abuse.

With a surprise ending, which the absent shrink attempted his patients to reach.

As one astute Brazilian critic, Henrique de Moraes, observes “comedy never jokes around (“brinca”). It is always more serious than appears and has a hidden criticism between the laughter and smiles of the audience.”

The play attracted 350,000 spectators during its three-year run in Sao Paulo and due to its popularity and the charisma of one-time TV soap opera Fagundes, has extended its run in Rio de Janeiro from originally the end of March until the end of July.

It is doubtful if every session of the play—like every session of psychoanalysis –will be the same because there are obviously ‘caoetes’—or improvised jokes outside of the written script—which the actors include.

And perhaps this possibility of flexibility has been one of the incentives which has kept the same cast—minus Fagundes’ son Bruno–to remain together onstage since its three- year Sao Paulo run resulting in a highly successful theatrical experience.

Recommended to view but with a critical eye and ear open!