There are two kinds of Tyler Perry stage plays. The first focuses on familial issues with the gun-toting, pot-smoking matriarch Madea Simmons front and center. Played by Perry in drag, these one-note showcases are like a stand up routine with surrounding melodrama. The second type takes the playwright's pro-God stance and filters it through an anthology. Several stories are melded together, typically dealing with marital problems, parent/child discourse, and occasional nods to the real world issues facing African-Americans. While there really isn't a main character, Perry is sure to include some crazed ancillary figure to keep the slightly corny comedy coming.

In the case of What's Done in the Dark…, it's audience favorite David Mann, playing elderly cut-up (and thrift shop fashion disaster) Leroy Brown. Bald, bulky, and unbelievably energetic for someone supposedly in their 70s, he's the hypochondriacal heart of this evangelistic Gospel musical. The main story centers on three nurses working at a local county hospital. Kerry Johnson (Shawna Vinson) is having an affair with Dr. Bowman (Terrell Carter), the chief of staff. She doesn't know that he's keeping a rather substantial secret. Brenda Rhoads (Chandra Currelly) is a single mom raising basketball prodigy Calvin Rhoads Jr. (Ahmad Jamal McGhee). Their lack of money forces the boy into a dangerous position. In the meantime, crazy RN Trudy (D'Atra Hicks) is trying to get a hook-up with available MD, Dr. Harris (Christian Keyes). Unfortunately, she can't figure out the right approach.

Into all of their lives comes Brown. Escorted by his favorite daughter Cora (played by Mann's real life wife Tamela) he's the scene stealing center of what is otherwise a collection of confrontations with tried and true 'talk to the hand' payoffs. The resulting narrative is not complicated -- each character has their trial, and through prayer and friendship, finds a way to overcome. But they are oddly satisfying in their collection of clichés.

Perry does resort to dramatic stereotypes, reflecting his view of the urban experience. The men are chauvinistic, struggling, or just plain shiftless. He definitely plays into the men are pigs/dogs dynamic. It's a similar position he takes with women. While never questioning the value of single motherhood, Perry will premise his other female characters as either holy or whores. As with all good morality tales, evil is then vanquished, good readily rewarded, and the power of Jesus and personal faith given credit for righting the wrongs.

Fans of Perry's films may find the recorded stage play format a little trying at times. Scenes are pitched to the back row, and voices literally rock the rafters. Music is indeed a very important part of these shows, providing the spiritual underpinning to the story and revival like atmosphere. Several times during What's Done in the Dark…, the actors break out into song, voices powerful with the desperation and hope of their characters. In between, Mann makes malapropism an artform, mangling everything from people's names to medical procedures. Oddly enough, he is matched idiosyncrasy for idiosyncrasy by Hicks. Her Trudy is a trip, channeling some kind of ditzy demon with her guttural line readings and ever-present mugging.

As infectious as they are simplistic, it's easy to see why the plays of Tyler Perry have become a cultural phenomenon. Not only do they speak to his audience, but his work reflects their lives in a way that is palatable, straightforward, and dignified. All over-the-top lunacy aside, What's Done in the Dark… offers an excellent message about relying on yourself and being true to who you are. It also proves that no matter the production -- with or without Madea -- Perry has something valid to say.