Theater Reviews: Eat the Runt, Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, Cute With Chris

Miss Witherspoon, The Bourgeois Gentilhomme and more

Comments (0) By L.A. Weekly Theater Critics Wednesday, Nov 12 2008

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FOR ALL TIME This third offering in Cornerstone Theater Company’s justice cycle is a disturbing docudrama by KJ Sanchez, which deals with the legal inequities and personal tragedies of the American justice system — specifically in California, where the egregious three-strikes law compels life sentences even for relatively minor offenses. The play — framed by passages from Aeschylus, which speak to the tragedy of revenge and retribution — airs multiple points of view: They include those of the families of victims, their lives shattered by the murder of a loved one; and those of inmates, some of whom perpetrated those crimes. Also portrayed are jail counselors and the parole officials, who wield incredible power in a bankrupt and overextended system. The most compelling thread centers on an inmate named Talena (Bahni Turpin), a mature lifer who’s worked hard to rehabilitate herself but is denied parole each time after testimony from her victim’s family. Joshua Lamont, as an innocent severely beaten by two street thugs, delivers the most moving monologue. Turpin, Lamont and M.C. Earl, as a minor felon who pleads to meet with his brother (Lamont), deliver the play’s emotional highlights. Laurie Woolery directs an ensemble heavily weighted with nonprofessional performers, resulting in rough edges. The narrow, oblong playing area creates another obstacle to effective staging. But Sanchez’s script, while a bit lengthy, is otherwise cogent and focused, and at times eloquent in humanizing a knotty social issue. Shakespeare Festival/LA, 1238 W. First St., Los Angeles; Wed..-Sat. 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; through Nov. 23. (213) 613-1700, Ext. 33. A Cornerstone Theater Production. (Deborah Klugman)

GO MISS WITHERSPOON Set against the firmament of Stephen Gifford’s minimalist set, this West Coast premiere of Christopher Durang’s exploration of the afterlife begins with chunks of NASA’s Skylab falling from the sky and Chicken Little scurrying across the stage to sound the alarm. After the dust has settled, Veronica (Kelly Lloyd) finds herself dead and in a liminal place called bardo. Here, she’s greeted by Maryamma (Pia Ambardar), a loose representation of Hindu spirituality, who expounds on the cycle of life, death and reincarnation — and insists upon calling her Miss Witherspoon. Much against her will, Miss Witherspoon is reincarnated a number of times, coming back as a baby to two radically different families, as well as a dog. During each reincarnation, Miss Witherspoon commits suicide because she “wants to be unplugged” and can’t believe that “this [life] goes on forever.” Nonetheless, Maryamma patiently guides Witherspoon toward true wisdom, receiving assistance from a black female Jesus (LeShay Tomlinson), as well as a Wise Man (Andrew Morris), who resembles Gandalf. Lloyd navigates her character transitions brilliantly and is utterly convincing in each. Ambardar, despite slipping in and out of her Indian accent, has great energy and provides much of the comedy in the piece. Joel Swetow’s direction sets the appropriately outrageous tone for a Durang play, and EB Brooks’ costumes and Suzy Starling’s props bring its absurdity to life. El Centro Theatre, 800 N. El Centro Ave., Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; through December 14. (323) 460-4443. A West Coast Ensemble Production. (Mayank Keshaviah)

Chaya Calmus

Quixotic

Jay Lawton

Song of Extinction

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NEW What might happen if, say, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie were stuck in a bomb shelter after a nuclear holocaust and ruminated on the dismal effect of the war on their shopping, partying and self-obsession? Despite an appealing premise, writer-performer Lauren Brown and choreographer-performer Rachel Koler’s self-directed avant-garde lambasting of America’s obsession with materialism and Bush’s endless war is mostly – and sadly – vapid and tedious. The docile Lauren and bitchy Rachel, young and dysfunctional socialites sporting garish makeup, hair, and costumes evocative of Darryl Hannah in Blade Runner, engage in elliptical conversation and munch Ritalin and Adderall like peanuts. “This is terrible” opines Lauren wistfully, longing for life before the conflict, to which Rachel, more comfortable in judging people than helping them, acidly replies “terribly boring.” So, to alleviate their ennui, they set about to launch a movement to “make everything new again.” There are engaging touches, like the back screen projection of the happy and sad, the cacophonous music that sets an appropriately unsettling tone, and a charming finale. However, an outside director could have struck a more cordial balance between style and substance and may well have enhanced the duo’s well-intentioned and potentially enlightening piece. Son of Semele Theater, 3301 Beverly Blvd., L.A.; Wed.-Thurs., 8 p.m.; through Nov. 13. Post Fact Productions. (Martín Hernández)

GO QUIXOTIC The idea of updating Miguel Cervantes’ Don Quixote to the dead-end environs of a bleak insurance sales office could potentially be a case of shoe-horning a premise into a new setting, but director Amanda Glaze’s crisply staged production of playwright Kit Steinkellner’s emotionally nuanced drama threads a fine path between reality, fantasy, comedy and tragedy. Scenic designer Eric Svaleson’s almost too believably drab office set is bathed in the horrific glow of flickering florescent lights favored by budget-minded bosses world over. Yet, the florescents morph into a lush golden glow when mild-mannered claims adjustor Arthur Quick (Isaac Wade) starts hearing music in his head — and he begins inexplicably to believe he’s the noble knight “Sir Quixotic.” In short order, Quick imagines his tightly wound and nonplussed boss, Allie (Coco Kleppinger), to be a tragic princess, an ambitious temp (Paige White) to be a demonic enchantress, and cubicle pal, nebbish Sam (Ariel Goldberg) to be his “squire.” Glaze’s briskly paced production boasts some beautifully subtle acting turns that are both energetic and organically believable. Although some plot elements in Steinkellner’s script play out more like an extended Saturday Night Live sketch, the work actually has us wondering whether Quick is delusional, or whether his co-workers are actually “enchanted.” Wade’s Walter Mitty–like shift from mousy Quick, to the throatier, more blustery Sir Quixotic is delightful, and engaging turns are also offered by Kleppinger’s brittle Allie, by Goldberg’s sensitive Sam, and Paige’s increasingly unpleasant temp. Powerhouse Theatre, 3116 2nd St., Santa Monica. Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; through Nov. 22. (310) 396-3680, Ext. 3. A Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble production. (Paul Birchall)