Tryst

Let’s cut to the chase. Yes, the nudity that’s teased on the poster for Karoline Leach’s new play makes a striking appearance late in the second act (courtesy of whom, we’ll remain mum), but it’s not enough to save the playwright’s Edwardian-era tale from descending into sheer melodrama. Maxwell Caulfield (grown up — and visibly pumped up — from his Grease 2 days) stars as George Love, a dodgy con man who flatters and fleeces well-off spinsters out of their bankbooks. Not completely without a heart, he always gives the gals ”a good time” before cutting loose, and is thus stunned when his latest conquest, a mousy milliner played ably by Amelia Campbell, resists his buff bod for a game of cards. Thanks to a series of gratuitous plot twists, he (and the audience) soon learns precisely why. Less clear is why Leach, a smart and lyrical writer, transforms her thriller into a lesson in pop psychology. (Tickets: Call Telecharge at 212-239-6200, or visit Telecharge.com)