Theater Reviews: Closer, Accidental Death of an Anarchist

Also, The Violet Hour, Mr. Marmalade

Comments (0) By L.A. Weekly Theater Critics Monday, Mar 17 2008

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GO INVASION OF THE MINNESOTA NORMALS In Jen Ellison’s play, which might be titled Waiting for Roy, Ruth McKinley (Deborah F. Reed) plays hostess on a rainy night in a 1950s Chicago suburb. As the guests arrive, they remark on the absence of her husband, who is still at work, but nonetheless kick off the evening with liberal amounts of liquor, snide chitchat and questions from a personality test that Roy had brought home a few days earlier. The “game” begins innocently enough, with Walter (Rich Hutchman), Stanley (Peter Breitmayer) and Helen (Anne von Herrmann) reading questions and attempting to answer them truthfully, but it quickly degenerates to reveal simmering hostilities. As the evening wears on, the questions become more pointed, especially when new neighbors from Minnesota arrive and it’s discovered that Robert (Brad David Reed) and Mary (Judy Heneghan) were part of the test’s control group. Tensions escalate, and secrets come to the fore, as the definition of “normal” is questioned, cracking the veneer of domestic Midwestern tranquillity and revealing its dark underbelly. Melissa Denton’s deft direction keeps multiple balls in the air, and Troy Wilderson’s beautifully naturalistic set, complete with a “rain window,” adds to the feeling of claustrophobia in the pressure cooker of the living room. The entire cast give great performances, truly eliciting the suburban discontent in a play that is reminiscent of the works of both Tennessee Williams and Edward Albee. The Lounge Theatre, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru April 19. (323) 960-5771. A Buzzworks Theatre Co. Production. (Mayank Keshaviah)

Secrets of the Trade (Glover and Brochtrup)

All the Help You Need

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All the Help You Need

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Invasion of the Minnesota Normals

GO MR. MARMALADE Four-year-old Lucy (Heather Ann Smith) is learning that boys are impossible. She wants to play house; they’re content with doctor. Her pal, Larry (Walter A. Lutz Jr.), cops to being a suicidal robber of piggy banks and too eagerly strips down to his Spider-Man skivvies. Her imaginary friend, Mr. Marmalade (Scott Brady), is the worst. He batters his assistant (David Jay Barry), checks his BlackBerry all through teatime and blows her off with “This week is terrible — maybe we could do sushi?” Why Lucy conjures up an abusive, coke-head playmate is left for her future therapist. Noah Haidle’s savagely funny comedy is interested in the love triangle that unfolds violently while distracted Mommie Dearest (Deborah D’Ottavio) is out with her latest stallion (Michael Wilson). With two pretend pregnancies and several black eyes, Haidle and director Stephen Ferguson integrate adult humor with a keen kids’-eye view. (When Lucy and Mr. Marmalade slow dance, she rests her feet on his.) Oversize performances complement the quirky tone, particularly Brady’s go-for-broke bastardy, and Smith’s scorned romantic, who acts out with a petulance recalling Pee-wee Herman’s. Gardner Stages, 1501 N. Gardner St., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru March 29. (818) 685-9939. A 3KO Broadway Theatre production. (Amy Nicholson)

GO OLD TIMES In paying such scrupulous attention to the comic underpinnings of Harold Pinter’s classic, director John Pleshette sidesteps the monotony that often seeps into the staging of the play. The plot of Old Times is deviously simple, and fertile ground for the darkly funny musicality in the prose that Pinter is renowned for. A married couple, Deeley (Dan Cowan) and Kate (Cecilia Specht), who occupy a farmhouse by the sea, await the arrival of Kate’s longtime friend and former roommate, Anna (Cerris Morgan-Moyer). Her entrance at the start of the play gives rise to some welcoming chitchat over drinks, and, at first blush, this reunion seems rather commonplace. But slowly, something deeper emerges, and the mind games begin. Anna seems intent on sparring with Deeley in a contest for Kate’s affections, and as the play progresses, it becomes apparent that there is much more to the relationship between these three characters, as the past and present inexorably collide. Among the ensemble’s crisp, nuanced performances, Morgan-Moyer imbues Anna with a particularly scintillating blend of seduction, vibrancy and innocence. Lost Theatre, 130 S. La Brea Ave., Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m.; thru April 13. (800) 595-4849. (Lovell Estell III)

GO SECRETS OF THE TRADE In his sharp, funny comedy drama, Jonathan Tolins (Twilight of the Golds) explores the ambiguities of the mentor-pupil relationship. Gay teenager Andy Lipman (Edward Tournier) longs for a career in the theater and idolizes Martin Kerner (John Glover), a legendary, Tony-winning writer-director. Encouraged by his architect father (Mark L. Taylor), Andy writes a hero-worshiping letter to Kerner, who, charmed by its boyish naiveté, becomes Andy’s mentor. Dad is delighted, but Mom (Amy Aquino), a schoolteacher and ex-dancer, feels threatened and jealous because she’s always been Andy’s chief adviser. She also suspects Kerner’s out to seduce her boy. Tolins knows the milieu well, carefully charting the volatile mixture of affection, idealism and sublimated sexuality that marks the relations between Andy and Kerner, and the dilemma of parents trying to accept their son’s homosexuality. Glover offers a flamboyantly flawless star turn, and Tournier ably captures Andy’s innocence and charm. Bill Brochtrup shines as Kerner’s acerbic personal assistant, while Taylor and Aquino find both humor and nuance as the worried parents. Director Matt Shakman finely balances comedy with emotional probing, and makes terrific use of the tiny space, while Craig Siebels provides the clever, flexible set. Black Dahlia Theatre, 5453 W. Pico Blvd., L.A.; Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru April 20. (800) 838-3006 or www.thedahlia.com. (Neal Weaver)