Di Zhu and Rebecca De Mornay Photo by Dan Wright

Healthy relationships aren't exactly the cornerstone of playwright John Patrick Shanley's catalogue.

Before being awarded the Pulitzer for his parable Doubt and receiving an Oscar for his screenplay for Moonstruck, the Bronx-born playwright first gained attention in the early 1980s for dark relationship explorations like Danny and the Deep Blue Sea and Savage in Limbo, and for the over-the-top passionate expressions of his lovers in Italian-American Reconciliation.

An unhealthy romantic relationship, eventually expressed with over-the-top passions, is at the center of his new one, The Pushover, being granted a fine world premiere production at the Chain Theatre by director Kirk Gostkowski.

"I like strong women. I have a weakness for strength," explains self-described pushover Pearl Penny Chen (Di Zhu) in her initial session with an unnamed, rather nondescript therapist (Christopher Sutton). "I let people take advantage. But then the flip side kicks in, and I get... It gets crazy."

A chef at an Asian fusion restaurant, described in the script as "very much a New Yorker," Pearl immediately assumes that this doctor-patient relationship isn't going to work, especially when the therapist doesn't seem to get her vague explanation for her penchant for wearing white gloves.

The scene then crosses the continent to a New Mexico residential spa where Pearl's former lover Evelyn (Rebecca De Mornay) lounges after a kickboxing session. There's an encounter between her and Soochi (Christina Toth), who manages Pearl's restaurant, and it becomes evident that something sinister has been arranged.

"I strongly advise you not to disagree with me, you fucking scabby pissant low life rodent!," says Evelyn, once it's clear that she is fully in control of Soochi's safety. "You are scum. You're Scumzilla. You know what? Say it. Say you're scum or I'll have them lock you in a cranked up sauna until your face explodes."

Designer Jackson Berkley's unit set shifts into the Queens Chinese takeout joint that Pearl is about to open, and designer Debbi Hobson's costuming for Evelyn shifts from a traditionally feminine dress to a power-chic ensemble as the two of them loudly confront each other about the Soochi situation and rehash the impossibility of their romantic relationship.

This is where, as Pearl earlier described, "it gets crazy," as she exerts dominance over Evelyn by denying her the codependency she craves.

The press preview I attended was only the second time the play has been put in front of a paying audience, so one might expect there's some tinkering to be done. The main issue is that very little of the significant action takes place in front of the audience, so the play is primarily talking about the past. While the actors certainly put their all into it, there's more character study than plot, but without the depth or tension necessary to support enough interest.

But if you grab one of the complimentary fortune cookies offered on your way out, the message inside is bound to send you off with a smile.