False Steps

 False Steps
A Ballroom Comedy
Theatre at St. Clement’s
September 13, 2025

Photo courtesy of False Steps

False Steps is a sharp and stylized comedy that utilizes ballroom dancing to set the tone and pace for a cleverly conceived story.  Candace H. Caplin and Kim St. Leon’s writing is full of laughs, passion, and mystery.  There are unexpected twists, turns, pirouettes, lifts, and dips that keep the audience wanting more.  The flashy costumes and lighting effects are surpassed by the energetic performances of this marvelous cast. 

Sophie Applebaum (played by Candace H. Caplin) is a wealthy widow who takes up ballroom dancing.  Her daughter, Rae (played by Sarah Hogewood), is a playwright.  She goes to therapy because she can’t get her play finished.  Every conversation she has with her therapist (played by Jason Daley Kennedy) centers around her mother.  Rae walks in on her mother and the dance instructor, Paulo (played by Ronny Dutra), in a compromising position.  Rae is shocked and suspicious.  The housekeeper (also played by Jason Daley Kennedy) sends Rae to a private investigator, Herschel (again played by Jason Daley Kennedy).  Herschel does his research on Paulo, and Rae does a fair amount of snooping.  When Sophie announces that she is going to marry Paulo, Rae confronts her mother directly, causing her to collapse and be rushed to a hospital.  Rae and Paulo find themselves in a hospital waiting room, and in a compromising position of their own. 

Sarah Hogewood, Ronny Dutra, & Candace H. Caplin
Photo courtes of False Steps

The ensemble of four ballroom dance couples makes this a wonderfully original experience.  They are choreographed throughout the show, changing scenery, appearing and disappearing.  They create a rhythmic atmosphere of grandeur and passion.  The choreography (by Ronny Dutra) in the second act advances the story by illuminating the dreams and inner thoughts of the characters.  The audience is transported in these moments, falling deeper into the fears and desires that drive the action.  These dances are beautifully staged and skillfully delivered. 

False Steps, A Ballroom Comedy is playing at Theatre at St. Clement’s through September 28.  It is a fun, energetic, and sharply stylized production. 

Domenick Danza