Theater Reviews: Leiris Picasso, A Memory of What Might Have Been, The Jesus Hickey

Also, The Importance of Being Earnest, Grace and Glorie and more

A A A Comments (0) By L.A. Weekly Theater Critics Thursday, Jun 17 2010

PHOTO BY C.M. GONZALEZ

Magnum Opus: Surf Dogs Unite!

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TWO FIGURES If television shows like The Wonder Years, My So-Called Life, and Felicity already hadn't gone undercover and revealed the truth of the teenage experience; or if Matthew Chester had explored why his lead female, a motherless 17-year-old virgin, has sexual domination fantasies, this new play might break new ground. In its current form, however, it's just a well-acted rerun of one of the more predictable, albeit racier, teen dramas. Bethany Esfandiari, who actually looks like the adorable love-child of Kevin Arnold and Felicity, plays petulant and puppy-dog cute equally well as Penny, an emotionally isolated high-school student with artistic ambitions. It's only a matter of time before she tumbles head-over-heels in love with her socially awkward, professionally frustrated art teacher, Mr. Sacher (a soft-pedaled, pitch-perfect characterization by Noah Silverstein). Chester deserves credit for pushing culturally defined boundaries and for challenging accepted notions of appropriate sexual behavior. The resulting affair elicits more tenderness toward the couple than discomfort until Mr. Sacher casually mentions his age near the end of the play; the couple's sweet Alicia Keys' sing-along then transitions abruptly into sadistic role-playing — and just as abuptly, I was squirming in my seat. But Chester's attempt to draw a parallel between breaking the rules in artistic mediums and the couple's taboo relationship is a stretch. "There never really were any [rules]," Mr. Sacher says in a lecture, and you realize he's as much of a teenager as Penny. Ahimsa Collective, Powerhouse Theatre, 3116 Second St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sun., 8 p.m.; through June 20. (213) 674-6682 (Rebecca Haithcoat)