THEATRE REVIEW
Lost in time (Photo – Peter Carrier).
Two plays for you to check at Atwater Village Theatre.
By Carol Edger Germain
Lost in Time
Who hasn’t daydreamed about what they would do differently if only they could go back and relive a time in their life knowing then what they know now?
Just tweak it a little to make the present a bit better? Danny (Kevin Comartin) has that chance when he wakes up one morning back in college and meets up with Robert (Andy Shepard), Amy (Tonya Cornelisse) and Gwen (Tarah Pollock). This ensemble group from Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA was perfectly cast in this fascinating play, everyone pulls their weight, the transition from future to past is smooth (for the audience at least, not for Danny!), and I imagine I am not the only audience member whose memories were triggered, with a few key incidents popping up that could have been done differently.
Shepard’s Robert was energizing and engaging, one of those fun guys to hang with, but not shallow, his sincerity came through whether he was partying or studying or just being there for his friends. Cornelisse’s Amy was electrifying, played intuitively by being just a touch louder than the others, with her brassiness and attention-grabbing entrances distracting us, at first, from the vulnerability and heartbreak below the surface. Comartin and Pollock weave their thoughtful truth throughout, and the result is an intriguing and thoroughly enjoyable experience.
The set design by Amanda Knehans deserves special kudos, the morphing cubes and window treatments were cleverly and quickly reworked to represent the different time periods.
Lost in Time
• Written by Tony Pasqualini
• Directed by Keith Szarabajka
• Presented by Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90039
• 10/13,14,20,21 8pm, 10/15 3 pm
Purchase here.
All Night Long (Photo – Darrett Sanders).
All Night Long
Who’s ready for something different? I mean really different.
This play takes quirky, offbeat, surreal, and absurdist to the max. At least 5 times I turned to my friend and made a willy grinning “whaaatttt????” face, it was so much fun. Don’t look for a straightforward plot with a resolution, or logic, or characters within the usual parameters of humanity and decency (after all, the “half-sibling” in the family was created with an alien contribution and the relationship between father and daughter is iffy). The set is pure 50’s, space age (in more ways than one), and you will never be ready for what happens next. Perfect for audiences ready to roll with the punches, accept the unacceptable, enjoy the kitschy set and suspend the usual parameters of a plot. Jack and Jill (yes, you heard that right) (played by Phillip William Brock and Alina Phelan) are the quintessential 50’s nuclear family, with a bullied teenage son, Eddy (John Patrick Daly) who’s physicality compensates for his teenage angst, and a soul-searching daughter, Tammy (Caroline Klidonas). They have the ideal family, 2-1/2 children, with daughter Terry (Cat Davis) serving as child number 2.5, since she is half human and half, well, something extraterrestrial because that was the only option. Their daily challenges were never represented on Ozzie and Harriet, Father Knows Best, Leave It to Beaver, or the Donna Reed Show.
They have unique roadblocks to conquer for sure. Just roll with it, enjoy it for the absurdity it is, plenty to laugh at, a clever two-level set to behold (enhanced by Ellen Monocroussos’ strategic lighting and Tim Labor’s sound design), and much 50’s style and subject matter to observe and enjoy. A crazy, wild-eyed ride.
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