`Women' Has Moments, But Is Drowning In Monologues

John Patrick Shanley is a monologue addict.

His "Women of Manhattan" has a few good moments, but it mostly lacks the dynamics of his best work ("Danny and the Deep Blue Sea," the movies "Five Corners" and "Moonstruck"). Here, his propensity for letting characters ramble tends to be distracting, at best; and when the characters ramble about something they were just rambling about five lines ago, distraction breeds annoyance.

Struggling with redundancies and inert scenes, this new production of "Women of Manhattan" at Odd Duck Studio is sometimes funny, sometimes dramatic, sometimes dull.

The play is about the search for love and fulfillment of three friends. Billie (Stephanie Lee) is a philandering airhead who shows a surprising bent for deep thoughts about her unsatisfying marriage. Rhonda Louise (Jennifer Huntsman), in whose apartment the two main scenes take place, has just split up with her live-in boyfriend. Judy (Myles Goldin) is desperate for a lover, yet keeps ending up with gay men.

You analyze, girls!

For most of this inactive play, the three take turns being therapists and patients. Once in a while, Shanley gets off a Woody Allen-eque one-liner: "I feel cut off from my body - maybe it's because I have so many clothes."

Billie's husband (Kenneth Wohlford) and a blind date (Martin Peoples) threaten to add spark. But just when some give-and-take starts heating up, a wet monologue douses the flame.

Goldin is the only cast member who really takes risks. The other four actors are competent, but for this play to work, they must really go for broke to create energy and tension. ------------------------------- "Women of Manhattan" runs Thursdays-Saturdays through Oct. 31 at the Odd Duck Studio, 1214 10th Ave., Seattle; $9; 206-324-1062. -------------------------------