Theater Reviews: Hollywood Fringe Festival

Comments (0) By L.A. Weekly Theater Critics Thursday, Jun 24 2010

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GO THE MOST DANGEROUS WOMAN IN AMERICA: (MACHINE GUNS, COAL DUST, AND THE MAKING OF THE AMERICAN DREAM) Eighty years after her death, Mother Jones’ howl for safe mines and responsible corporations still echoes. Therese Diekhans’ hell-raising one-woman show captures the lioness shaming a field of miners about needing an 83-year-old woman to fight their fight (in fairness, she lied about her age). Playwright David Christie isn’t interested in biography; this is a snapshot of a firebrand and the climate that forged her, and under Carol Roscoe’s direction, the actress shifts wonderfully between 15 characters, including a grandstanding John D. Rockefeller Jr., who pontificates to workers that if they can’t afford to feed their families, “Your children should not have been born.” Theatre of NOTE, 1517 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hlywd.; hollywoodfringe.org/project/view/97. (Amy Nicholson/L.A. Weekly)

THE PACKER Take away the geographical and cultural specifics and remove the heavy Australasian accents, and Dianna Fuemana’s gritty solo show starring Jay Ryan and directed by Jeremy Lindsay Taylor could easily take place in any American setting. That’s because what drives Fuemana’s dozen or so characters are universal human desires that run smack into harsh realities. Expertly played by Ryan, who seamlessly transitions from the protagonist, Shane, to his alcoholic mother and to a variety of West Auckland inhabitants, this production in one hour offers a complex slice of life without moralizing or judging. Taylor sets a lightning pace from the opening lines and drives the story full speed until its satisfying conclusion. Theatre of NOTE, 1517 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hlywd.; Tue., June 22, 8 p.m.; Thur., June 24, 10 p.m.; Sat., June 26, 6:30 p.m.; Sun., June 27, 2 p.m. (323) 956-8611. (Jeff Favre/courtesy of Back Stage)

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PINK CHAMPAGNE Writer-performer Dylan Jones heads an offbeat musical entertainment, supported by four able dancer-singers (Jay Willick, Addison Witt, Tara Norris, Kaiti Tronnes), under Aryiel Hartman’s direction. Jones is superior to her acid-trip material, which suggests a cross between On a Clear Day You Can See Forever and Lady in the Dark. When diva entertainer Mathilde (Jones) admits to a crisis of confidence, she undergoes past life–regression therapy to find herself, experiencing a series of bizarre misadventures. The songs are primarily lifted from classic Broadway shows. The rewritten lyrics are awkwardly imposed, and the songs seldom fit their contexts or work as parodies. Presented by Freakstar Entertainment at the Elephant Stages, 1076 Lillian Way, Hlywd.; Sat., June 19, 2 p.m.; Wed., June 23, 9:30 p.m.; Sat., June 26, 3:30 p.m. (866) 811-4111. (Les Spindle/courtesy of Back Stage)

THE STORIES OF CÉSAR CHÁVEZ Writer/director Fred Blanco’s heartfelt if hagiographic, one-man show about the late civil rights leader, labor organizer and United Farm Workers founder seeks to put a human face on the enigmatic and provocative Hispanic messiah. Through multiple characters and perspectives, Blanco charts Chávez’s rise from his childhood as a California migrant worker, through his zoot-suited teens as a barrio tough, to the discovery of books and learning, which culminated with his conversion to the cause of economic justice. While Blanco is an affecting performer, this life in brief revels in the triumphs but avoids the controversies that might have lent complexity to his blemish-free portrait. Theatre Asylum, 6320 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; Thurs., 10 a.m.; Sat., 2:30 p.m.; through June 26. (866) 811-4111. (Bill Raden/L.A. Weekly)

GO THAT’S FUNNY. YOU DIDN’T SOUND BLACK ON THE PHONE African-American actress Jacquetta Szathmari explains that for many years she had “given up on being black,” not out of any internalized racism but because she had always disapproved of the narrow definition of behavior imposed on her by the outside community. In her cracklingly smart, funny, philosophical and often politically incorrect monologue, Szathmari describes growing up in an isolated, hardscrabble rural Maryland community, where she always dreamed of finding class and culture — it’s not that she didn’t want to be black, she wanted to be upper class and live the life exemplified by a copy of The Official Preppy Handbook she purchased at a library bookstore. Thoughtful, introspective and sweetly intimate, Szathmari’s solo show offers a great deal to ponder, as it presents a genuine, unapologetic nonconformist on her own journey of self-discovery. Various locations, hollywoodfringe.org/learn/content/268. (Paul Birchall/L.A. Weekly)

GO THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID This lesbian-themed, cabaret-style piece, featuring the abundant talents of vocalist Amy Turner and keyboardist-singer Kathryn Lounsbery, is first-rate fun. Their original numbers ("Lesbian Cliché Song," "Fanny Pack Lover," "U-Haul Rap," etc.) and comedic rapport are charmingly witty. Though occasionally a bit "inside" with the countless sexual/genitalia references, the duo's output is remarkably diverse in style. Highlights include a send-up called "H.M. Lez Pinafore," "You Can't Spell Pussy Without US," a country & western piece whose title adorns the pair's T-shirts, and "Why Is My Right Wrong?" a requisite yet touching anti–Proposition 8 ballad. All in all, these ladies offer something for everyone. Los Angeles Women's Theatre Project at the Stella Adler Theatre, 6773 Hollywood Blvd., L.A.; Fri., 8 p.m.; through July 16. (818) 471-9100. (Dink O'Neal/courtesy of Back Stage)