For a somewhat sardonic Valentine, one could do worse than take in the current production of Tom Stoppard’s 1982 play The Real Thing currently at Studio One of the Cleveland Play House, in a joint production with the CASE/MFA program. It isn’t an overlong play and director Jerrold Scott keeps the action zipping right along. But you’ll need to hurry a bit, as the final scheduled performance is Sat 2/19. It helps to keep in mind the 1980's English sensibility: Maggie Thatcher was in charge, and there are several allusions to this era. But most of all, you’ll have to pay attention as the words go flying around the intimate Studio One stage area. My biggest quibble is with the British accents, which vary greatly from actor to actor. At times, this unevenness hinders comprehension. They don’t really add anything, even at the best of times, except for Brodie, who is on-stage for all of about five minutes at the very end of the play. All of the actors are second-year Master of Fine Arts students in the CASE/Cleveland Play House program. In the role of the playwright, Henry, Joshua John McKay portrays the man in love with words, who still wants the 'real thing' - passionate love with the woman of his choice. Although he is married to an actress, Charlotte (Nicole Hedges), he is engaged in an affair with a different actress, Annie, wonderfully brought to life by Elizabeth Davis. Sparks do fly between Henry and Annie, sometimes to the surprise of both of them. The character of Annie’s husband Max (Jason Michael Miller) seems rather superfluous to the play, although the actor certainly isn’t. The other three actors all have very small parts, but perform very well, none the less. Lelund Durond Thompson is Billy, a young actor on the way to Glasgow to appear with Annie there (they meet on the train); Bailey Varness is Henry and Charlotte’s daughter Debbie, and Samuel Holloway is Brodie. The first of the two acts is much the meatier, when just the two couples appear. Henry expounds on his love for words as well as their value; music of various kinds — he’s been invited to participate in ‘Desert Island Discs’ and must choose eight records to accompany him there; love, trust and fidelty, whether real or imagined, and all the amifications thereof. It is the hapless Brodie who is the catalyst for the action in the second act: in prison for participating in a demonstration, he has written a play to bring attention to himself and his cause. Unfortunately, (according to Henry) "He can’t write!" Too true. Annie, a member of the committee seeking justice for Brodie inveigles Henry into re-writing the script, an act that nearly brings the roof down on all their heads. It forces them all to look deeply within themselves to find their own 'real thing.' It’s a very worthwhile trip for anyone to undertake. Remaining performances are Wed 2/16 through Sat 2/19. For tickets call the Play House at 795-7000 or visit http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com. from Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriter@core.com (:divend:)