Theater Reviews

GO CHEAP TALE Comedienne, heal thyself, is the connective theme of Jennifer Fitzgerald and Mandy Steckelberg’s pair of quite funny one-woman shows, directed smoothly by Jennifer Carta. In the first, Memoirs of a Flaker, Fitzgerald chronicles two decades of lost battles fought against her psoriasis, a skin malfunction that leaves her itchy, spotted and self-conscious. The scabs aren’t this pert cutie’s only incongruously crusty attribute — there’s also the Staten Island accent that juts out alongside her dark jokes about molestations and racial stereotypes, as well as the host of tortures she underwent in hope of a cure, including hydrotherapy, pummeling, subjecting her skin to flesh-eating fish, and a night of passion with a pharmacist’s hunky son for her pricey lotions. Steckelberg’s Kicked in the Head is more scattershot and happy to please, flickering between her exes, her mother and assorted secrets after she sinks into the recesses of her brain and reclaims the optimistic (if naive) certainty of her self-worth, which had drifted away after a series of traumas that neither E.R. nor piranhas can mend. Sacred Fools Theater, 660 N. Heliotrope Ave., Hlywd.; Wed.-Thurs., 8 p.m. (no perf Thurs., June 1); thru June 7. (323) 969-4973. (Amy Nicholson)

CUBICLES Meant to give workers a sense of personal space, the office cubicle today serves almost like a jail cell for many a company drone. At least that’s the case for the characters in writer-director Hal Cantor’s “tragedy in three walls,” set in the bowels of a major corporation. Pregnant midlevel manager Gail (Royana Black) feels chained to a husband she does not love; vice president Jim (Edmund Lupinski) has realized his years of loyalty may not translate into that corner office; and even golden boy executive Hugh (Carlos Martin) feels trapped in the rising success he may not even want. Newly hired Shana (Bettina Adger), free-spirited and lacking malice, may be just the person to liberate them all, whether they like it or not. Like the characters they portray, most of the cast members lack the energy for their work, arising perhaps from Cantor’s hackneyed script or from miscasting: Thirtyish Gail’s jealousy of the fresh-out-of-college Shana strains credibility since Adger and Black appear of similar age. Martin does acquit himself well as the conflicted Hugh. Alliance Repertory Company, 3204 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; no performances May 25-27; thru June 10. (800) 595-4849. (Martín Hernández)

DOT GONE Writer-director Max Cabot’s satire traces the rise and fall of a search-engine company called Uuum — so named by its crackpot marketing manager (Melody Mooney) because “uuum,” she reasons, is the common utterance preceding so many questions. Woven from ensemble improvisation, the piece targets the hubris of dot-com entrepreneurs who were convinced they had beat the system until it came crashing down around them. The production’s strongest suit is the performers’ creation of their characters; among others, Mooney’s aggravating New Age prattler, Jon-Barrett Ingels’ oily and oozingly confident head honcho, Joni Efflandt’s cheerleading receptionist (whose official title is director of first impressions) and Chris Mock’s debt-ridden Everyman, too desperate to question the spurious pipe dreams bantered about the office. All of the above are fundamentally sketch comedy prototypes, and while they often ring comically true, none are deep enough to sustain a play for nearly two and a half hours. 24th Street Theater, 1117 W. 24th St., L.A.; call for schedule; thru June 3. (323) 960-1057. (Deborah Klugman)

THE L.A. WEEKLY LOVES US! No, not really. But Sy Rosen’s comedy about local thespians is still very funny in places. In a fit of rage, Bill (Stephen Ferguson), who’s the artistic director of the struggling Valley Actors Workshop, attacks Karen (Simone Sullivan), who reciprocates by stabbing Bill multiple times with a pair of scissors. In a flash, she’s in court, charged with murder, dogged by a determined prosecutor (Bree Pavey) and defended by a slick lawyer (Jason Ryatt Lovett). Here, Rosen’s script gets unwieldy. Shifting among a ponderous medley of scenes from the courtroom, to the theater, its back stage, and a bedroom, Rosen chronicles the inner workings of the troupe and their personal lives. The group’s parody of Oklahoma! is a high point, as is a brainstorming session for production ideas, resulting in a proposal for a musical honoring Condoleezza Rice. Amidst these, and plenty of dull and/or overwrought moments, the performances run hot and cold under David J. Barry’s direction. Whitmore-Lindley Theater, 11006 Magnolia Blvd., N. Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru June 17. (818) 685-9939. (Lovell Estell III)

GO 1001 BEDS Tim Miller’s autobiographical tales, tinctured with magical realism, cover the politics and perseverance of being a gay performance artist. This may feel dated if not for the fact that over 20 years of advocacy, gay rights has certainly transformed public attitudes but left nary a dent in our country’s laws. And so it is only appropriate now that Miller looks back to make a reckoning; here he performs excerpts from his new book, an overview of his life as an activist-artist. Conspicuously absent is his notorious bout with the government concerning the retraction of his NEA grant, and the vocal, anti-gay fury he encountered in many cities throughout the nation. This performance focuses on two moments in his life that hold special meaning for Miller: the meeting of his partner, Alistair McCartney, during a performance workshop in London; and a recent protest for gay rights in front of the Federal Building in downtown L.A., at which he was arrested, and through which McCartney worked for his immediate release. Perhaps more tame than one might expect from a Miller piece, it carries quite an impact nonetheless. Highways, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., 8:30 p.m.; thru May 20. (310) 315-1459. (Luis Reyes)