Therapy, Timing, and a Touch of Chaos: Hollywood Treatment at Next Steps

As part of the Next Steps Theatre Festival at the Gural Theatre at ART, I had the pleasure of seeing Hollywood Treatment by Lara McCarthy — a “feel-bad comedy,” as the program aptly puts it. The premise: Dr. Manwick, a therapist, meets with a parade of patients, most of whom are grappling with relationship woes. The structure unfolds as a series of vignettes, each focused on a different client, interspersed with brief interludes of Dr. Manwick alone, revealing that her own struggles closely mirror those of her patients.

The entire play takes place in Dr. Manwick’s office, where we watch the evolution of her clients’ lives and the slow unraveling of her own marriage. First and foremost: the play is funny. It's sharp, witty, full of smart observations, silly beats, and solid punchlines that kept the audience laughing. For a comedy, that’s the gold standard. At a brisk 90 minutes, it’s perfectly paced to avoid overstaying its welcome. Just as the vignette format starts to wear a bit thin (more on that in a moment), the play ties everything together and ends with a smile rather than a yawn.

Now for the structural elements that hold it back. Whether it’s due to festival limitations or creative choice, the minimalist approach to set, lighting, and sound ultimately underserves the show. Because the play returns repeatedly to the same space with the same characters, a sense of monotony creeps in. This is worsened by the identical transition music used between each scene, creating a rhythm that starts to feel more like a rut. The repetitiveness, while partially redeemed by the final payoffs, leaves the audience stuck in a kind of transition purgatory.

Those transitions themselves are another issue. I don’t know the reason behind it…technical limitations? Artistic choice? Scene changes were slow and clunky, often consisting only of actors entering and exiting. Each transition involved an awkward beat of silence, followed by dialogue starting in the dark, and then, finally, lights up. Once or twice would be fine. But this happened in every scene change. In comedy, where timing is everything, such pacing problems can be a death knell. And while it didn’t ruin the show, it certainly took the edge off.

Thankfully, the script brings it all home. McCarthy skillfully connects the seemingly unrelated characters and plotlines, creating a cohesive and satisfying conclusion. The clues were there all along, and when the threads come together, the payoff is genuinely rewarding and answering any lingering “what’s the point?” doubts the audience may have had.

The show’s greatest strength, though, is its cast. Directed by Lara and Greg McCarthy, the ensemble is pitch-perfect, with sharp comedic timing and fully realized characters. Lara even makes a very funny cameo. Juliana Dever is the linchpin as Dr. Manwick—her brittle exterior and emotional unraveling are both hilarious and quietly moving. Kathi Reichel and Pelayo Cervantes, as a bubbly actress and her anxious fiancé, inject warmth and sweetness into what could easily be caricature roles.

Isabella Filosa is a standout as a manic housewife embarking on an affair for questionably sound reasons—she’s electric, and nearly flawless (I’d say perfect, but my French instincts won’t allow it). Julian Ricardo, playing a high-strung Hollywood agent, and Cynthia Gray, as his kind, long-suffering assistant, feel like they wandered in from Entourage, and I mean that in the best way. Alec Gould offers a welcome injection of fresh energy as a jittery teen toward the end of the play, while Michael Lippman nearly steals the show as a weeping man who says nothing until he finally does, and it’s both hilarious and brilliant. His comedic turn might just have been the funniest moment of the evening.

Overall, Hollywood Treatment is a smart, entertaining show with genuine laughs and a strong ensemble. That said, its structure, dialogue, and pacing feel more suited to television. The repetitive format, the abrupt transitions, and the way storylines wrap up while still hinting at more all contribute to a vibe that’s very “TV pilot”—and a good one at that. On screen, with tighter editing and better control of timing, this could really soar.

Still, as a piece of live theatre, it succeeds far more than it stumbles. I was glad to catch it as part of the festival, which runs through June 8th and showcases new works like this one throughout. It’s an exciting initiative with a meaningful mission—one I plan to continue supporting by seeing more shows.