It is a break from the LBP tradition of broad comedy. It is comedic, but the humor comes from life, not baggy pants jokes. It tells of a time in the lives of two women and the male figures that intrude. One of the men is the right man at the right time. The other is a pain in the butt. Fortunately, the right man is real, while the pain is a figment of a teenage girl's imagination, a kind of alter ego.

The story has to do with a single parent raising a girl child. The mother has dated before and is dating a particularly compatible gentleman now. As she has done successfully in the past -- the daughter is out to deep-six the romance and keep her parent devoted to her alone. Aiding and abetting her is her "imaginary friend," a way the girl has of keeping her more acid comments to herself, comments that if spoken she knows will get her in trouble.

Emotions get the better of her from time to time and the comments pop out as insults or baseless challenges. The girl is in the process of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. This is that well-known and little understood period that each of us goes through -- boys get stupid and do dumb things while girls get snotty and whine a lot.

The mother struck a chord with anyone in the audience who has raised a girl with her Act I closing line: "I can't wait until you grow up and have a daughter!" The right sentiment, perfectly delivered.

The cast of four is perfect, all around, in its delivery, too, throughout the play. Kaitlyn Terpstra as the teen, with Gary Blomberg as her imaginary friend who is a superior being, are a match made in theatrical heaven. As are Monica Doherty as the multi-talented but unfocused mother, with Bob LaSalle as her gentleman caller, a mailman who wears shorts and knee-highs. Credit for casting and direction go to Ed Kechejian: outstanding.

The play by Bruce Graham was first performed in 1989 and is well-written, smooth-paced and touchingly humorous. Any of us who has experienced a daughter's teen years can look back and see the humor that was nonexistent at the time -- and definitely not around when we, ourselves, went through it.

"Moon Over the Brewery" runs at the Lemon Bay Playhouse through Oct. 1. You can order tickets for $15 each by phone, 941-474-6756, or stop by the box office Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at 96 West Dearborn St. in Englewood.

You can also contact the theater by e-mail at lbp@ewol.com and get more information on the Web at www.lemonbayplayhouse.com. Performance times are Wednesdays through Saturdays 8 p.m. and Sunday matinee at 2 p.m.

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