Theater Reviews: Dirty Pooh, L.A. Noir Unscripted, Looking for Trouble

Also, My Sister in This House, Paved Paradise: The Art of Joni Mitchell and more

Comments (0) By L.A. Weekly Theater Critics Thursday, Apr 22 2010

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GO LOOKING FOR TROUBLE These five clever one-acts are stylishly directed by Kerrie Kean: "Resin," by Brian Lennon, the most substantial work, is a Strindbergian tale of longtime gay lovers (Carlo Serna and Brett Holland) who are at war because each is determined to impose his own definition on their relationship. In "Satiety," by Lennon and Tom Martin, a garrulous young man (Danny Junod) encounters a loony, possibly homicidal young woman (Jessica Wright) in an airport restaurant. Alan Ball's "The M Word" features Wright and Steve Rifkin as lovers who are such control freaks that even their courtship must be conducted via scheduled PowerPoint presentations. Simone Cook's sweetly comic "Love in War" presents a young couple (Cook and Keith Robinson) whose relationship is complicated by the birth of their child. And in Lennon's "Ruth," brothers Ian (Rifkin) and Jason (Junod) are staying in a bed-and-breakfast in Ireland, presided over by proprietress Ruth (Angelina Leaf), but Jason is so arrogant, opinionated and meanly argumentative that all who know him are driven to thoughts of homicide. The plays aren't all of equal merit, but all are entertaining, the casts are versatile and engaging, and the uncredited minimalist sets are elegantly appointed. The Lost Studio, 130 S. La Brea Ave., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 7 p.m., through May 2. Produced by White Buffalo Theatre Company. (818) 925-4021. (Neal Weaver)

GO MY SISTER IN THIS HOUSE In 1933 France, two submissive churchgoing maids named Christine and Lea Papin brutally murdered their employer and her daughter, a crime that riveted the country and set off a firestorm of debate about the conditions of the working poor. Director Michael Unger's signed and spoken production of Wendy Kesselman's handsomely staged drama speculates around that event. Stockpiled with the minutiae of the maids' daily routine, it explores the increasingly bizarre psychological dynamics between the perpetrators — the fastidiously capable Christine (Deanne Bray, voiced by Darrin Revitz) and her clumsier, dependent sister, Lea (Amber Zion, voiced by Lindsay Evans), as well as their relationship with their mean "Madame" (Casey Kramer) and her docile daughter, Isabelle (Jennifer Losi). Performed without an intermission, the plot's unhurried rhythm reflects the excruciatingly slow pace of life in the setting's time and place. Bray and Zion are lovely and expressive in communicating the sisters' bond, forged ever more tightly in response to Madame's nitpicking cruelty, though Christine's dark side could be underscored more emphatically. Kramer's villainess is so fulsomely drawn as to border on caricature; this apparent directorial choice, made to emphasize the melodrama, is handled by this performer with considerable skill. And Losi projects an effective foil as the petulant Isabelle, whose impulses toward kindness are ultimately annihilated by her mother. Tom Buderwitz's set, Leigh Allen's lighting and A. Jeffrey Schoenberg's costumes create an ambience of musty money contrasting aptly with this dark, disturbing tale. Deaf West Theater, 5112 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hlywd.; Thurs.- Sat., 8 p.m,.; Sun., 2 p.m.; through May 30. (818) 762-2773, deafwest.org. (Deborah Klugman)

PHOTO BY RICK BAUMGARTNER

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GO PAVED PARADISE: THE ART OF JONI MITCHELL There's a lot of love onstage in John Kelly's wryly affectionate performance/portrait of folk-rock legend Joni Mitchell. Which may explain the secret to how a lanky, middle-aged man who bears no earthly physical resemblance to the Canadian singer-songwriter can hold an audience spellbound for the duration of his two-hour tour of the Mitchell songbook simply by donning a blond wig and a floor-length lace gown. Call it drag if you must, but, unlike the jugular-ripped camp of the divas caricatured by, say, Lypsinka (a fellow alumnus of NYC's downtown performance-art scene of the '80s), Kelly's is a kinder, gentler and altogether more transcendent art. Perhaps that's because the objective here isn't so much to mimic the star's stage mannerisms (though he does that to hilarious effect) as it is to capture the underlying spirit and humanity of her performance. Thus Act 1's survey of '60s classics (including "Chelsea Morning," "Circle Game" and a Wigstock-tweaked version of "Woodstock") and Act 2's roster of '70s superhits ("Amelia," "For the Roses," "Down to You") are both sweetly interpretive and immediately familiar. Kelly's trained countertenor voice and actor's instinct to underplay character finds winning support in keyboardist/musical director Zecca Esquibel and bassist Eric Holder; while Kevin Malony's lean and fluid staging completes what amounts to a highly entertaining argument that only by first walking in Mitchell's shoes can a performer earn the right to inhabit her music. Renberg Theater, 1125 N McCadden Place, Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; through April 25. (323) 860-7300. (Bill Raden)

GO SEE WHAT I WANNA SEE Michael John LaChiusa's dynamic 2005 musical, based on short stories by Rynosuke Akutagawa, examines the nature of truth. The title refers to our proclivity for seeing only what we want to see — and failing to report it honestly. The piece consists of four scenes. Two, set in medieval Japan, deal with the tormented relationship between two lovers, played by Lesli Margherita and Doug Carpenter. The third, "R Shomon," is set on the night of the New York premiere of Akira Kurosawa's classic film Rashomon and retells its tale in a modern setting. A brash, handsome Thief (Carpenter) sets out to seduce the brassy, sexy Wife (Margherita) away from her Husband (Perry Ojeda). By morning, the Husband is dead, and the three participants deliver wildly conflicting accounts of what happened. The dead Husband's story is told via a Medium (Suzan Solomon). A shifty, unreliable passerby (Jason Graae) provides a fourth version. The fourth scene, "Glory Day," gives Graae a chance to shine but seems to belong to a different play. LaChiusa's stirring score mingles jazz with Japanese inflections. Director Daniel Henning delivers a taut, sexy production, with impeccable music direction by David O, and all five actors provide passionate conviction. The Blank Theatre Company, 6500 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 2 p.m., thru May 23. (323) 661-9827, TheBlank.com. (Neal Weaver)