“Is that a sling hanging in the wings?” a friend of mine queried before the lights dimmed signaling the start of the first act of Searching for Mr. Right.

“No, it’s probably a part of a lighting fixture or something technical,” I said.

Turns out, I was wrong. There was, in fact, a leather sling suspended by chains that dipped on to the stage during act two – and it was much to the audience’s delight.

The scene in which the sling appears, and is subsequently used, was a far cry from the content of the family friendly show The Daddy Machine that closed at the Diversionary Theatre the week before.

In truth, there was near to nothing family friendly about debut playwright Roman Jimenez’s Searching for Mr. Right. The scene with the sling wasn’t the only bit of racy content.

Searching for Mr. Right has a simple premise, with sharp writing, heartfelt characters, and believable dialogue. Without delving too deep (which isn’t to say it lacks substance), the play explores issues gay men struggle with, including masculinity, image, aging, fidelity and, yes, the search for Mr. Right, as opposed to Mr. Right Now.

The story is as follows: Phillip (Mackie Washburn) is surviving a breakup with Marcus (Marc Spencer). He relies on his friends, Eugene (Joshua Charles Hyatt), Paul (Rob Hurlbut), Hector (Ricco Espinoza) and Kimmie (Kim Griffin) to coach him through. Paul is on the hunt for Mr. Right, while Hector pines after Phillip. Eugene, a bearish man, struggles to believe a strapping young stud like Olliver (Joshua Tucker) could ever love him, though Olliver engages Eugene in flirtatious exchanges. And Kimmie, as resident gal pal, Kimmie is mostly along for moral support (and to aid a key plot point near the play’s end).

On more than one occasion, audience members recognize something in themselves onstage. Whether it’s the vulnerability of one character, the promiscuity of another, or the romantic optimism of yet another, there are visible parallels between art and life.

This is, perhaps, where the play excels most (aside from its side-splitting comedy). Playwright, director and co-producer Jimenez has crafted a script that doesn’t take a theater buff to decipher. The dialogue lends to an easy atmosphere – it feels less like a night at the theater and more like cocktails and conversation with friends (though, I don’t know how many people observe their friends having anonymous sex with a twink in a sling).

The main characters (played well and with fine comedic timing by each of the actors) balance vulnerability and resilience. They’re loveable and familiar. Coupled with a clever, quick script, the characters make Searching for Mr. Right a delight.