Imagofest
Dysfunction and discord were the order of the night Saturday at the Stella Adler Theater in Hollywood. A series of three one-act plays was presented under the rubric “Imagofest,” and there was no escaping the torrent that swung from the outrageous to the violent to the doleful, searing the audience like salt to raw skin.
The evening started innocuously with “The Divorce Party,” written by Stella Adler alumnus Matt Sauter. Terry (Mike Daily) wakes up to wish his wife Monica (Juliet Quentin Archard) a happy 40th birthday only to receive the news that she is no longer in love with him. He initially takes this bombshell with humor and equanimity, zinging off one-liners and lulling us into expecting a night of farce. But things grow ugly quickly as the couple’s long-festering bitterness ensnares everything in its path, including Terry and Monica’s teenage daughter Annie (Anne Asland) and Monica’s sister Rosie and her family, who come to celebrate Monica’s momentous birthday.
The line between love and hate is a thin one and we become acutely aware of this as the audience reaches a point of not knowing whether to laugh or sit in stunned silence. Terry is fantastic--hilarious, but harnessing an energy and a fury that comes out in the form of harsh words that cut deep. When Rosie and her family arrive, the chaos is enhanced, due mostly to the utterly believable performance of the autistic son Tucker, played by Andrew McReynolds. He’s intrusive enough to make an imprint, but never veers into the broad caricature that made Leonardo DiCaprio so unwatchable in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.”
There’s nothing sentimental about this portrayal of an eroding marriage, and while the laughs are many, the consequences of betrayal and hurtful words are made too clear in a surprise ending that cuts to the quick.
After a brief intermission, the show took a precipitous drop with the presentation of “The Other Side to Everything.” Written by Alex Aves, who also starred as the female lead, the show depicted the lonely desperation of two lovers adrift, with no harbor in sight. The premise was a good one, but the play settled into a predictable pattern of passion-violence-passion-violence, until I found myself wishing it would simply end. Nick Cimiluca as the disaffected husband cheating on his wife was excellent, playing his part believably and with nuance, and Aves did a decent job expressing her alienation, but the rawness of their sexual violence became endlessly shrill to the point where I simply tuned out.
After the gut punch of the first two shows, “Twice on Sunday” was a welcome and quieter meditation on the aftermath of Matt’s (Jeremiah Heitman) failed suicide attempt, and the efforts of his sister Catherine (Alison Evans) to understand what caused it. Writer Allan Smith won me over in the end, but the beginning of the one-act was vague, and whether intentional or not, it precluded me from becoming fully invested at the start. Once it is revealed what has brought the characters to this place, however, you can’t help but be drawn in by Heitman’s muted but gripping performance. A wonderful evocation of the tender moments that brothers and sisters share, “Twice on Sunday” managed—despite the circumstances—to reach a place of wistful serenity in an ugly world that can sometimes urge us to wish it all away.
There were no cutting corners on this night. The actors were prepared and committed, and the material was good. The audience, composed mostly of Stella Adler students, as evidenced by its knowing reaction to much of the performance, made everyone feel involved, and what resulted was a memorable night at the theater.
IMAGOFEST runs March 7 through April 6th, 2008. Performances are in The Studio C Theatre at Stella Adler Theatre—Los Angeles at 6773 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028 (on the corner of Hollywood & Highland), Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 8 PM. Tickets are $15 general admission, $5 for students and seniors. Running time is 120 minutes with intermission. Wheelchair access. Park at the Hollywood & Highland Center $2 for 4 hours with Stella Adler validation.
For reservations call 323-465-4446 or reserve ONLINE: www.plays411.com/imagofest
Limited discount tickets available at: www.plays411.com/imagofest