FUNNY: "DEFENDING THE CAVEMAN" @ BALBOA THEATRE

San Diego -- "Outrageously funny!" "Hilarious" "Humorous insights." Reviewers from Chicago to Miami agree that Defending the Caveman is lots of fun. It is a Broadway/San Diego production that runs at the ornate Balboa Theatre for 8-days only: Nov. 11-16.

The show's stated purpose is to determine "what it means to be a man," says somewhat overweight Isaac Lamb, 28, on stage. He has performed this role for five years. He's a graduate of the prestigious Loyola Marymount's School of Film and Television.

Written by comedian Rob Becker over a three-year period during which he made an informal study of anthropology, pre-history, psychology, sociology and mythology. Facts from those studies fill the first hour of the show, which was the "longest running solo play in Broadway history," according to the producers.

While the show's promotional materials stoically say the show explores the "ways men and women relate," on stage Lamb says it's about "women and assholes."

Naturally, the women in the audience love it!

But, as one patron commented: "If you took out all the women in the audience and left only the men," the laughter would diminish dramatically.

"Why are men assholes?," Isaac asks on stage as he goes into his monologue to explain - in dozens of way - why men are such terrible human beings, and women are so nice.

"If this reveals real married life," said another patron, "it explains why about half of marriages fail."

A constant theme through his one-man show is to describe the basic role that men (married and definately not Gay) and women have played since pre-historic times.

Gays might find the show humerous as a comparison of their culture with the "breeders."

Lamb says: The men are hunters, and the women are gatherers.

The men target their prey and are totally focused on what they are doing.

The women - as they gather stuff - use a wide, panoramic view of their lives.

A man who shops for a shirt goes into a story focused only on a shirt!

A woman who goes shopping is a "gatherer" who sees - and wants - everything in the store.

Women like to talk. Men don't. "A woman's vocabulary is about 7,000 words a day. A man's vocabulary is only about 2,000 words," Lamb claims.

Women know how to engage in a conversation. Men communicate only in grunts.

Men never compliment another man on their clothes. Women always compliment other women. "We base mens' relationships on women's standards."

A male bachelor's home is always a mess, just the opposite of a female bachelor.

"Even if a man (read: husband) tries to help with the housework, it's not good enough."

There seem to be hundreds of these little vignettes showing the basic difference between men and women. "After the first 45-minutes, it began to get boring," said one older, male patron.

"A mans body is like a computer. If she touches it, it is booted up and ready to go."

"Men have one orgasm, and go watch TV," Isaac said. "I wouldn't want to be married to this guy," said an elegant lady sitting in the second row.

"Women have 85-90 erogenous zones (on their body). Men have one."

"These are very stereotypical images of men and women," said Al and Tracy Wilkinson of San Diego, sitting in the third row.

"The script exploits these stereotypical images," they added.

"Quite frankly, I like my home to be neat, clean and tidy," Al Wilkinson reported.

And, it's like comedian Becker never met a gay man when he wrote the script.

But, the show is entertainment. It's not supposed to be a view of the real world.

And, as a place for a few laughs - and particularly if you are a woman - and a place to split your sides laughing; then Defending the Caveman is a great show to see. Tickets run from $15 to $72.
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Review copyright 2008 by San Diego News Service, (619) 757-4909 leopowerhere@msn.com