‘Miss Witherspoon’ humorous but unwieldy, pretentious

There are a lot of intriguing notions buzzing around in Christopher Durang’s philosophical comedy “Miss Witherspoon.” 

It’s just too bad that none of them touch down long enough to register effectively.

You have to give a lot of credit to the folks at the Unicorn Theatre who’ve mounted a co-production of this flaky farce with the University of Missouri-Kansas City Theatre Department. They have managed to make this unwieldy play look better than it is.

Admittedly, you are only as good as you dare to be bad, but Durang’s play is a colossally pretentious and self-indulgent work that is made somewhat palatable by his sharp sense of humor and on-target pop culture references.

We already know from Durang’s earlier work, such as “Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All For You,” that he does not think much of Catholicism. Here, he seems to show equal contempt for all organized religion.

Jan Rogge plays Miss Witherspoon, a middle-aged woman who has committed suicide and is now caught in the “bardo.”

This Tibetan word refers to a Buddhist idea of a “transitional state,” a kind of waiting room in the netherworld.

There she meets her sunny spirit guide, Maryamma, played by Amy Urbina. Maryamma, who appears to Miss Witherspoon in the form of a resplendent Indian shaman, explains that this situation is only temporary.

Miss Witherspoon has a “brown aura” and still has much to learn from life. She is to be reincarnated and given the opportunity to grow.

According to Maryamma, “All souls must keep reincarnating until they reach true wisdom.”

Of course, the willful Miss Witherspoon will have none of it. In her mind, life on Earth is miserable and humanity itself is worthless. She would much rather simply fade into blissful nothingness.

When she hears of some of the “other” afterlife regions, Miss Witherspoon insists that she’d prefer the Jewish version, which Maryamma explains is a bit like “a kind of prolonged anesthesia.”

Of course, that’s not an option. Although she sometimes successfully resists being sent back, Miss Witherspoon is ultimately reincarnated as a homely, abused fat girl and as a dog. (Of course, life as a dog is much better.)

Rogge is splendid in the title role. Even thought the play has its weaknesses, Durang has created a great character in Miss Witherspoon, and Rogge really sinks her teeth into it.

Urbina brings an appealing cheeriness to the role of Maryamma, who seems perplexed by Miss Witherspoon’s incessant pessimism.

Other players tackle multiple roles, including Dina Kirschenbaum, who is amusing both as an uptight June Cleaver type and as a filthy-mouthed trailer trash housewife.

Matthew Rapport has fun in a number of roles, including that of “Gandalf,” an otherworldly spirit guide who is not unlike the magical wizardly character from “The Lord of the Rings.”

Helen Gonzalez portrays a sympathetic teacher and also appears in the afterlife as Jesus, here seen as a black woman dressed up in her Sunday best.

Co-directors Cynthia Levina and Steven Eubank give the play a competent staging, aided by an appropriately minimalist set by David Hawkinson and the creative work of lighting designer Seifallah Cristobal.

While there are some amusing moments and witty observations in “Miss Witherspoon” (we learn that famed playwright Thornton Wilder has been reincarnated … as Arianna Huffington), Durang’s messy play is better left to the netherworld.

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