Blackbird
The title of the play inspired by the Beatles song of the same name won’t be the only reason audiences will likely leave shaking their heads in utter gobsmack. In the space of 90 minutes, this small but significant two-hander by David Harrower shocks with harrowing but credulous psychological twists and turns as a young woman and an older man confront their sordid past.
It’s difficult to review a show that hinges on the suspenseful element of how these two characters are related to one another without giving away the surprise. Suffice it to say, the acting is superb and the writing exquisitely layered and well-plotted without tying up too much at the end. It will entice conversation afterwards and raise more lingering doubts on the veracity of both characters days after seeing this quiet, but emotionally wrought production directed by Robin Larsen with a careful eye to detail and combative staging.
The cast stars the incomparably talented Sam Anderson as Ray and a striking Corryn Cummins as Una. Sam Anderson is a terrific film/TV actor, but on the boards, he’s sensational. To see Anderson in a role that pivots on a high wire of self-doubt, uncertainty and surprisingly elicits empathy for an otherwise unsympathetic character is almost worth seeing twice.
However, Cummins is nearly overshadowed by Anderson’s performance and certainly, outshined. Although Cummins plays the victim/Lolita schism with a vague awkwardness with shyly sexual undertones, she rarely reaches the same heartening depths as her counterpart. The imbalance is frustrating, but understandable. Anderson, through no fault of his own, simply takes over and literally wipes the floor (ridden with debris and waste) with Cummins. It is an interesting, but not wholly satisfying dynamic then, but in the context of the play, workable.
Rogue Machine does what it they do best with these exquisitely personal, challenging black box dramas. See The Sunset Limited and Small Engine Repair. Artistic director John Perrin Flynn, now in his fourth season demonstrates his keen eye for riveting material and economically sound productions that rely on the intimate nature of the play in an intimate space. Bigger, he proves, is not always better and the Rogue Machine is a stellar company for these tiny gems.
Their sets rarely skimp on detail and while they seem inclined to choose plays that drudge up dirt and grime on a continual basis excepting the very cheery Wish I Had a Sylvia Plath, Stephanie Kerley Schwartz knows how to finesse a set with absolute precision and realism as is the case here. The one-location drama is set in an employee break room, complete with lockers and beveled glass where employees of the nebulous pharmaceutical company wander past like ghosts. The hazy, unclear outside world continually threatens the very real and potently dark reality as Una confronts, seeks closure and physical fulfillment from Ray, aka Peter. Lighting by Leigh Allen through fluorescent paneling above adds a stark, eerily cold dimension to the action.
The unfolding drama runs the risk of repulsion, befuddled by a gnawing need to outright condemn one character over the other, but Harrower’s brave, scintillating resolve to the Lolita archetype keeps one guessing, morbidly curious and fascinatingly ponderous throughout. Robin Larsen skillfully stages Anderson and Cummins as if they were in a boxing ring, with vocal jabs, pokes and prods, sparring them into action. It is a thrill to see whenever the emotions run high.
Dark, heavy and fulfilling, Rogue Machine keeps soaring on the wings of “Blackbird.”
“Blackbird”
Runs through July 24
Fridays at 8pm (until June 19)
Sat & Sun at 5pm
Mondays at 8pm (after June 25)
Dark on 7/4 & 7/18
Theatre Theater
5041 Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90019
(West of La Brea)
PH: 855-585-5185
www.roguemachinetheatre.com
Tickets: $25-$30