Currently Playing August 7, 2008

The Accomplices. Bernard Weinraub examines the activists who tried to persuade America to admit more Jewish refugees during World War II and the government bigwigs who thwarted those efforts. Our sympathies are largely with the hot-headed immigrant Peter Bergson (Steven Schub) and his cooler pal (William Dennis Hurley), while the chief villain is State Department assistant secretary Breckinridge Long (Brian Carpenter). But Weinraub argues that Long’s effort were abetted by some Jewish leaders including Rabbi Stephen Wise (Morlan Higgins), and that FDR (James Harper) was, at best, negligent. Director Deborah LaVine navigates the docu-dramatic details in a consistently lucid and fast-paced production. Fountain Theatre, southeast Hollywood. (323) 663-1525. FountainTheatre.com. Closes August 24.

Adam Baum and the Jew Movie. This amusing and probing 1999 comedy by Daniel Goldfarb (of Theatre 40’s recent Modern Orthodox) pits a would-be assimilated Jewish movie mogul in 1946 against a gentile, leftist screenwriter whom he has hired to write a movie about American anti-Semitism. The writer wants to make the film more Jewish; the mogul wants to sell tickets in Kansas. Their dispute coincides with the bar mitzvah of the mogul’s cosseted son. Paul Mazursky directs. The cast has changed since the production was reviewed. Hayworth Theatre, west of MacArthur Park, (323) 960-4442. Plays411.com/jewmovie. Closes August 10. (DS)

American Dead. Rogue Machine presents Brett Neveu’s anatomy of a decaying small town, focusing on the aftermath, five years later, of the murder of a deputy sheriff (Deborah Puette). Her alcoholic brother (Mark St. Amant), her former boss (Paul Dillon), her widower ((David Paluck) and his new wife (Ann Noble) cope with the event in different ways. The narrative rises from the dead as a newcomer (Darin Singleton) offers new evidence in the murder investigation. Dado directs with an acute sensitivity to nuance on Ian Garrett’s sprawling, multi-locale set. Theatre/Theater, mid-city L.A. (323) 960-7726. roguemachinetheatre.com. Closes August 24.

American Tales. Antaeus Company’s bill of two new one-act musicals offers radically different glimpses of 19th century America, adapted by Ken Stone. Mark Twain’s The Loves of Alonzo Fitz Clarence and Rosannah Ethelton is a far-fetched adventure story with comic sparkle, in which two long-distance lovers meet each other through crossed wires on the newly invented telephone. Herman Melville’s Bartleby the Scrivener is an anti-adventure story, about trapped souls in a Wall Street law office, which erupts into chaos when one clerk suddenly starts declining assignments with the words “I would prefer not to.” The 19th-century-influenced score by Stone (lyrics) and Ken Powell (music) adds dramatic heft and witty verse to the originals. Kay Cole and Thor Steingraber directed. But it’s too bad the Melville has to use the more Twain-appropriate set. Deaf West Theatre, North Hollywood, (866) 811-4111. Antaeus.org. Closes August 17. (DS)

Body Politic. In Jessica Goldberg’s spare but quietly powerful new play, a Hollywood screenwriter (Kristin Lear) seeks permission to research a script by spending time in the Walter Reed wards for Iraqi vets. Denying her access is an Army captain (Michael James Reed) who lost a foot in Iraq; his pregnant wife (Samantha Shelton) fears that he’s about to return to the front. Jeremy Maxwell doubles as a blinded vet in the ward and as the Hollywood exec who supervises the writer’s project. Goldberg appears determined to keep typical Iraq War anger from going over the top, and Chris Fields’s staging for Echo Theater honors that goal. But the closing scene breaks the conversational style, with haunting results. Zephyr Theatre, Melrose district. (800) 413-8669. echotheatercompany.com. Closes August 24.

Doctor Faustus. Independent Shakespeare Company briefly ventures away from the Bard to stage his contemporary Christopher Marlowe’s play about the German scholar (J. Paul Boehmer) who strikes a deal with Lucifer’s minion Mephistopheles (Bernadette Sullivan). In a decision perhaps dictated by the alfresco setting, the free admission, and contemporary sensibilities, director Antony Sandoval keeps tongue inside cheek most of the time, using masks on some of the supporting characters as added caricature. It’s good to see this famous but seldom performed play, but it feels predictable and lightweight when compared to the Shakespearean masterpieces that followed it. Barnsdall Park, east Hollywood. (323) 836-0288. independentshakespeare.com. Closes August 24.

Henry IV. Independent Shakespeare Company presents the condensed parts 1 and 2. These “complete” versions often feel hobbled by a couple of facts – Part 2 isn’t as interesting as Part 1, and the frequently depicted political and military machinations of the era aren’t as interesting as the conflicting relationships that prince Hal (David Melville) has with his primary playmate Falstaff (Danny Campbell), his real father Henry IV (Joseph Culliton), and his chief rival Hotspur (Sean Pritchett). The outdoor setting adds the distractions of helicopters. But the leading performances are strong, Culliton’s direction offers a couple surprises, and the admission is free. Barnsdall Park, east Hollywood. (323) 836-0288.independentshakespeare.com. Closes August 22.

Macbeth. Theatricum Botanicum offers a vigorous, sprawling Shakespearean spectacle at its rustic outdoor venue, co-directed by Ellen Geer and Chad Jason Scheppner. I counted 10 witches, stirring up bubbles and troubles as night descends on Topanga. The Birnam Woods look right at home on the hillside, and the trees approach Dunsinane from all directions, including the rear of the house. Jim LeFave’s Macbeth is a blustery bantam cock, and his wife (Susan Angelo, alternating with Melora Marshall) a convincing shrew. Theatricum Botanicum, Topanga. (310) 455-3723. Theatricum.com. Closes Sept. 28. (DS)

Mr. Punch. The complete title is The Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch. The Rogue Artists Ensemble adaptation of the Neil Gaiman/Dave McKean graphic novel journeys into a British man’s (Miles Taber) memories of his childhood summer spent hanging out at his grandfather’s (Dana Kelly Jr.) seaside arcade, where the star attractions include a brutal Punch and Judy show, run by a manipulative “professor” (Tom Ashworth), and a kindly mermaid (Nina Silver). Sean T. Cawelti’s staging is a design tour de force, involving masks, puppets, projections, video, song and dance. The atmosphere, more than the play, is the thing. Bootleg Theatre, near Beverly and Alvarado, L.A. (800) 838-3006. rogueartists.org. Closes August 31.

The Next Big Thing. This self-styled “garage band musical,” set in 1983 Chicago, depicts a teenager (Brandon Ruckdashel) who has a dream and a Yamaha DX7 synthesizer. His single mom (co-composer Missy Gibson of the indie rock band Breech) had her own pop star dreams crushed out of her but reluctantly helps the kid and his pals form a band, which takes off after adding a girl singer (Matisha Baldwin). The appealing rock score, by Gibson and musical director Mike Flanagan, keeps the show percolating (although Gibson’s voice sounded on the verge of collapse at the reviewed performance). Jeff Favre’s book begins falling apart after intermission, suffering from too many complications and a wish-fulfillment ending. Favre and Rachel Maize co-directed. Art/works Theatre, Hollywood. (323) 960-4418. thenextbigthingmusical.com. Closes August 16.

Rose. Martin Sherman created a fictitious woman who crosses an arc of 20^th century Jewish history – from Ukrainian shtetl to Warsaw ghetto to Exodus 1947’s aborted voyage to Palestine, followed by postwar adventures in Atlantic City and Miami Beach, visits with children in Israel and grim news from an Israeli grandchild. Unfortunately, the story unfurls as one meandering monologue. Naomi Newman of A Traveling Jewish Theatre portrays Rose, with two directors contributing, but it’s a long slog, despite a few lyrical moments and the trimming of some material just before this critic attended. It should have been a book or maybe a TV serial. Odyssey Theatre, West L.A. (310) 477-2055. odysseytheatre.com. Closes August 31.

Songs From an Unmade Bed. Mark Campbell’s sophisticated lyrics are showcased in this one-singer, three-instrumentalist, 18-song revue, with music by 18 different composers. Most of the lyrics cover a gay single guy’s romantic travails, thoughtfully staged by Patrick Pearson. Dave Barrus sings with consummate intelligence, but he’s almost too photogenic to generate much post-breakup sympathy, and his looks are highlighted by a Kowalskian undershirt and lovingly sculpted lighting. Celebration Theatre, Hollywood. (323) 957-1884. celebrationtheatre.com. Closes August 10.

This Contract Limits Our Liability: Read It! A young couple (Jonas Dickson, Kelsey Weeden), trying to spice up their sorry marriage by advertising for spouse-swappers, end up with a pair (Bill Robens, Julia Prud’homme) who plan to commit joint suicide instead of adultery. The plot twists of Joshua Fardon’s dark comedy are original but seldom convincing; the shock value feels force-fed. Kiff Scholl directed an able cast, including Andrea Ruth as a couples counselor, but blocked sight lines of the action that’s close to the floor are problematic. Weds-Thurs, Theatre of NOTE, Hollywood, (323) 856-8611. Theatreofnote.com. Closes August 7. (DS)

 
Twelfth Night. The oft-produced comedy is a nice fit for a moonlit sky and the open air of Independent Shakespeare Company’s annual alfresco repertory. This is the one about female and male siblings, separated at sea, who wind up in Illyria, where the woman assumes male garb in order to work as a romantic messenger for the count, who’s wooing a grieving countess, who … oh, just Google “Twelfth Night synopsis” and see what comes up. Melissa Chalsma’s cast is winningly funny – and mostly audible, despite competition from the Hollywood helicopter fleet. The whimsical costumes, eccentrically 20th century, are a cut above the other design elements. And it’s free – although donations are requested and deserved after the show. Barnsdall Park, east Hollywood, (323) 836-0288. Independentshakespeare.com. Closes August 23. (DS)

A Very Brady Musical. Does L.A. theater really need two Brady Bunch parodies within three miles of each other (see also Alice in One Hit Wonderland 2: Through the Looking Glass)? At least they’re very different. This one is from the original’s progenitor Sherwood Schwartz and his son, director/writer Lloyd Schwartz, and daughter, Hope Juber, who collaborated on the score with her husband Laurence Juber. They eagerly mock the goody-goody naivete of the original characters. In this episode, the six kids and Alice all end up in jail, which finally provides the privacy that Mike and Carol Brady need for a little nookie. With only one exception, the cast looks ideal, and the actors handle the sometimes ribald satire with savvy timing. Theatre West, Cahuenga Pass, Hollywood. (323) 851-7977. theatrewest.org. Closes August 10.

Wicked. The musical steamroller about the formative years of Oz's Wicked Witch and Glinda, powered by Joe Mantello's propulsive staging. Stephen Schwartz's score and Winnie Holzman's script (from Gregory Maguire's novel) are simultaneously tongue in cheek and heart on sleeve. Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Bl, Hollywood, (213) 365-3500. BroadwayLA.org. Call for performance schedule. Closes Jan 11. (DS).