Judith Hawkins in Bad Dates

Cincinnati native Theresa Rebeck writes and produces TV series -- mostly cop shows like NYPD Blue. She has a wicked sense of humor, too, as evidenced in her play, Bad Dates, at the Cincinnati Playhouse. So it's no surprise this one-woman comedy feels like a 100-minute sitcom.

In fact, Bad Dates is like the result of several weeks of TiVo, when you watch several episodes of your favorite sitcom. We never see Haley Walker's "bad dates," but we hear plenty about them. The divorced, single mom has decided to re-enter the world of relationships, and she shares her thoughts and anxieties about several men who fail to cut the mustard: the self-centered guy who recently broke up with someone else, the Columbia law professor her mother fixes her up with, and a man who seems like Mr. Perfect -- but isn't.

Judith Hawking, a versatile actress, is constantly amusing in this episodic monologue. She frequently drops into the voices of men she's dated and several people (including members of the Romanian mafia) involved with the restaurant she's fallen into managing. We never see Vera, her teenage daughter, but her presence is heard as thumping music behind a bedroom door.

Hawking keeps it interesting, but the actress isn't quite right for the role. Her Southern chick demeanor clashes with the role of a spunky single mom in New York as she plays the clothes horse amid the clutter of her bedroom, choosing and discarding outfits and shoes, anxiously preparing for dates and other events. Michael Hankins' direction has Hawking constantly moving, but she comes across as too solid and too glib to feel the angst she describes. Haley's rambling apartment (designed by Hugh Landwehr) also seemed at odds with her chic wardrobe. Like a bad date, the elements don't quite gel.

But maybe that's me -- some guys just don't get it, after all. A woman two rows in front of me could barely contain shrieks of laughter and sparked a standing ovation when Hawking took her curtain call. I suspect a lot of people will love this show. Grade: B