The Most Mediocre Story Never Told

In his autobiographical one-man show, Jay Sefton takes every aspect of the autobiographical one-man show and dismantles it before our eyes. This is because his show isn’t really about his youth in Philadelphia and subsequent move to L.A., nor is it about his older and more macho brother Joe, whom Sefton portrays and who frequently hijacks the show. Sefton’s exploration probes the essence of a story, and the distinctions, if any, between a legend and a lie. Joe keeps goading Jay to make things up or the show will be a bore. The awful truth is that his brother may be right — that a normal, honorable if meek youth with caring parents is the pleasant kind of existence that nobody wants to hear about onstage, or see in movies or read in books. Edward Albee once said that he writes a play in order to understand why he’s writing it. Sefton’s show is so clearly undertaken with the goal of Sefton trying to understand why he should be telling his life story, the result breezes past narcissism on a charm-filled meta-literary excursion, under Debra De Liso’s nimble direction — something like a magic-carpet ride. Meta Theatre, 7801 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood; Sun., 7 p.m.; through Oct. 26. (323) 960-7780.
Sundays, 7 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Starts: Sept. 21. Continues through Nov. 23, 2008