Patrick Dukeman Gordon Casey Jones Bastiaans The homeless lady Corrie Borris Rhoda Ellen Ezekiel Waitress Stephen Pawley Mr Bungee Mario Balcita Richard, the nice nurse Kira La Flamme Nancy D., the thin nurse Erik Holland Doctor Alexander Brose Minister Shelley Lynn Johnson Mother Jon Gale Roger Music director/keyboard Michael O’Dell Director George Quick A new brain is William Finn‘s account of how he survived a catastrophic brain malfunction, and the relationships that it brought into crisis. Finn could be described as a gay, upbeat Woody Allen, which basically means that they are both Jewish New Yorkers. In an acerbic way, everyone in A new brain is benign. Armistead Maupin said in an interview recently that New York gay writing is all about mourning for lost youth, whereas San Francisco gay writing is about affirming your identity. Michael Schwinn seems to been a San Francisco writer ventriloquising in a New York accent. Gordon’s mother’s response to his illness is to throw out all his books, which she says have made his brain explode; his WASP lover Roger is totally devoted and brings Gordon comfort through his stolidity, but himself needs the support of the crazy but insightful homeless lady; his colleague Rhoda flaps around supportively; and the doctor and two nurses engage in gallows humour. The work is through composed with some sharp dialogue and amusingly unexpected songs. Aware of his brain crisis, Gordon feels all the songs he hasn’t written welling up, perhaps to make what follows; the doctor’s request for his family history prompts a comic exposition on genetics (bad traits always drive out the good, the smart son is always the gay son) and a memory of his father’s insane bet on an impossible horse, which lead to his parents’ divorce; and Gordon’s attempt to think calm thoughts during his MRI throws up a memory of fractious sailing with Roger. And throughout Gordon has hallucinations of his boss, Mr Bungee, a didactic frog on a children’s television programme for whom he writes songs, who is turned by the brain trauma into a malevolent superego, an introjection of Gordon’s reckless departed father as well as of his relentlessly cheery mother. Even Mr Bungee turns out to be a positive thing, nagging Gordon not to give up when he should be dead. The music is breezily unmemorable, though, not quite distinguished enough from Gordon’s feel-good children’s songs, and the amiable cast in this preview performance were a bit too motivating. Only Casey Jones Bastiaans as the homeless lady had any kind of edge. She was actually disturbing, and also sang terrifically, recalling the beggar woman in Sweeney Todd, though without any sexual material. Almost all of the cast could sing, though, with varying vocal quality. Shelley Lynn Johnson as Gordon’s mother was more like Mrs Madrigal in manner, not nearly steely enough in her optimism or raucous in her sentiment. Similarly, Corrie Borris as the aptly named Rhoda was almost sweet, damned only by her mobile phone -- it wasn’t any surprise she came through. Jon Gale was totally sympathetic as Roger, who would rather be sailing, and Mario Balcita was probably far too nice to be Richard, the nice nurse, and a bit short of voice. Alexander Brose was weirdly understated at the minister, a small role, and a striking laid-back presence in the ensemble. Only Stephen Pawley as the unspeakable Mr Bungee (in swimming goggles) had real aggression and drive. The performance was done in concert, accompanied by a keyboard. The set consisted of three stools, and the movement was ingenious.