Theater Reviews

GO A SLIGHT ACHE A quaint English country home is the locus of Harold Pinter’s 1958 one-act, a delightfully enigmatic metaphor for the class struggle. If they gave any thought to it all, Flora (Susan Priver) and Edward (Henry Olek), might consider their marriage a failure. Their loveless union has made them strangers in their own home, with a prim Flora finding solace in her garden while the priggish Edward, looking ridiculous in a safari jacket, repairs to his study to write “theological, philosophical essays.” Edward may bully Flora and she may seem subservient, but the arrival of a silent, disheveled and penniless matchseller (Shelly Kurtz) becomes the catalyst for a startling shift of power in their otherwise staid existence. Under Carol Ries’ fluid direction and on Joel Daavid’s meticulous set, the ensemble deliver extraordinary performances, especially Olek, whose transformation from pompous tyrant to quaking peon during his harangues to the silent stranger is outstanding. In one droll scene, Priver’s aptly named Flora brazenly blossoms with sexual longing for Kurtz’s matchseller, whose silence speaks volumes through his eyes, facial expressions and gestures. Throughout, the “slight ache” in Edward’s eyes causes him to clench them shut, as if to avoid witnessing the changes in his once dominant position. The Elephant Lab, 1076 Lillian Way, Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru April 30. (323) 960-7726. (Martín Hernández)

GO ARMS AND THE MAN George Bernard Shaw’s potshots at the pomposities of love, war and human nature in general can still hit the mark, as in this entertaining production, directed by Michael Murray. Set in fictive Bulgaria, this 1898 classic revolves around a tender-hearted drama queen named Raina (Dorothea Harahan), who fancies herself in love with a pontifical young cavalry officer named Sergius (Mark Deakins). Their relationship hits a snag after she falls for an enemy soldier named Bluntschli (Mikael Salazar), who by chance stumbles into her bedroom seeking sanctuary. A career mercenary, Bluntschli is as sharp and down to earth as Sergius is posturing and bombastic, with the contrast between the two men furnishing the platform for Shaw’s ironic commentaries. The plot moves pleasantly along until Deakins’ appearance midway through the first act, from which point the comedy ignites around his brilliantly quintessential blowhard. The remaining ensemble also deliver the comic goods, but Harahan’s pampered miss could use more layers, and a seasoned Abby Craden is miscast as the family’s alternately saucy and sulky maid, Louka. Also problematic is designer Susan Gratch’s spare, non-naturalistic set, which at times accentuates the performers’ seemingly random movements. A Noise Within, 234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale; in rep, call for schedule; thru May 20. (818) 240-0910, Ext. 1. (Deborah Klugman)

PIPEMAN ON THE MOON Drew (Joseph Bisoglio) is an artist who worships Radiohead; Billy (Keith Hamilton), a linebacker who’s never bothered to look beyond Top 40. Outside, they’d never have found themselves curled up in a cot together, but they’re inside (inside a hospital ward to be precise) and bedridden with cancer. One has it worse then the other, but in writer Hamilton’s quiet slow burner, they’d rather talk about Led Zeppelin and Drew’s crush on a hip but protectively distanced nurse (Annika Marks). As a teenager, Hamilton lived this story before putting it to paper, resulting in its honest determination to eschew histrionics for a hushed character study of two very different reactions to two very difficult diseases. Where Billy wants to shut out the world, Drew’s hurting to take more of it in — even the nurses’ grumblings about their lives outside sound like heaven. While it’s fundamentally impossible to avoid predictability in a tale of terminal illness, and director Casey DeFranco is faced with a few too many short, choppy scenes, the story’s unassuming nature effectively creeps up on the tear ducts — especially when Joanne McGee is on stage as Drew’s lioness of a single mother. Brassy and tender, in the final scene she reduced the audience to sniffles without making a noise. Fine set by Victoria Profitt. Hudson Mainstage Theater, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru May 21. (323) 960-1053. (Amy Nicholson)

GO POONA THE FUCKDOG AND OTHER PLAYS FOR CHILDREN This latest offering from Sacred Fools is a bawdy, comedic romp through “the land of allegory and myth.” Jeff Goode’s play features a series of vignettes that are loosely tied together by Poona (Jordan Savage), a lonely canine who, in her search for “somebody to play with,” ends up serving as a sports hero, a spokesperson and, as her name suggests, an object of lust. Amid the sexcapades between Poona and The Handsome Prince (Michael Lanahan) are the storylines of the numerous other characters that populate this fantasy universe, including a talking shrub (Bruno Oliver), The Man Who Could Sell Anything (Eric Curtis Johnson) and a pair of aliens (Brendan Hunt and Andy Corren). While the play attempts to satirize a number of our political and social institutions, the numerous storylines and sidebars often get in the way. One of the highlights of the show is a chilling interaction between a child prodigy (Laura Sperrazza) and her Hal 9000-esque computer (Kimberly Atkinson) that seduces her into virtual-reality violence. Carlos Fedos’ set design evokes elementary school pageants of our youth while Adam Bitterman’s direction is efficient but not inspired. Sperrazza, Oliver, Philip Newby and Ruth Silveira deliver notable performances. Sacred Fools Theater Company, 660 N. Heliotrope Dr., Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru May 27 (no perfs May 5, 6, & 7). (310) 281-8337. (Mayank Keshaviah)