Matthew Perry's Play "The End of Longing" A Semi-autobiographic Dark Comedy at the Lucille Lortel Theater

Matthew Perry is well known for his starring comedic roles in TV sitcoms "Friends" and "The Odd Couple."  Perry wrote & stars in this One ACT, 4 character dark comedy.  This is Perry's 1st foray as a playwright.  His character, Jack, appears to mirror his comic persona of a lovable, wisecracking funny guy.  And the audience responded with abundant laughter to his clever bravado.  It should be noted, Perry has been candid about his alcohol addiction.  In "The End of Longing" he confronts the struggles & torments of an alcoholic.  The play is mildly entertaining & utilizes a simple construct of 2 best guy friends hooking up with 2 best girlfriends.  Jack is a boisterous boozer who hits on Stephanie (Jennifer Morrison "Once Upon a Time"); a highly paid hooker.  Stephanie's girlfriend, Stevie, plays the neurotic stereotype of an incessant talker.  She not only consumes anti-depressants regularly, she works for a drug company that manufactures anti-depressants & erectile dysfunction meds.  Stevie meets & sleeps with Jeffrey, Jack's bud and immediately becomes overly obsessive.  Jeffrey is written broadly as a not too bright but sensible good guy.  All the while, Jack obsesses over his next bud, shot, martini or any means of inebriation so he won't have to feel anything at all.  He tells Stephanie he drinks to wash away the pain, despair and nothingness.  Stevie becomes pregnant with Jeffrey.  Their zany relationship leads to the foregone conclusion of love & happiness.  Jack & Stephanie have a much harder road to hoe.  Stephanie gives Jack an ultimatum; choose, either her or booze.  For all the light hearted comedic moments, the play is piteous.  Watching Jack's dipsomania  & hearing his entreaty "Nobody fucking understands!" is painful.  The actors are all appealing within the simple confines of the play.  The rotating stage is divided by a glass block comprised with empty wine bottles.  The levity may make the pain of addiction somewhat more palatable.  Nonetheless, "The End of Longing" is a serious look at the shackles of addiction.  I may not fully understand the behaviors of an alcoholic, but Jack's pleas evoke empathy.  There's no shame in Perry's aim to address the difficult issues of addiction.   Perhaps, for Perry, writing the play was cathartic.  This was an open caption performance to aid accessibility for the deaf & hard of hearing people.