FIXED! a new play at The Echo

                     

               Allen Lucky Weaver, Chris Aguila
         and Tonatiuh Elizarraraz
           Photo by Darrett Sanders

 Echo Theatre Company's World Premiere of playwright Boni B. Alvarez's FIXED under the direction of Rodney To is cinematic in scope and leans heavily on the mosaic ethnic cultures of Los Angeles.  It carries us from 'lady boys' in a Filipinotown massage parlor: unrequited love: exposing a story teetering on shame and at the same time an important political election.  

Los Angeles has hosted transgendered beauty pageants for many years.  Emperess LaRay's annual Queen of the Universe Pageants at the Mayflower Ballroom paralleled the East Coast subculture of Houses of Beauty Pageants as witnessed in the 1991 film Paris Is Burning.  That film defined the sub-culture in New York City as did The Queen, an early cult classic that nudged drag and drag queen beauty pageants into the spotlight. FIXED brings a tough, no nonsense approach to the Los Angeles scene. Rivalries, evidently, are fierce.

Alvarez, has written a plum part for himself as Gigi, the owner of the House of Malacanang, a massage parlor that features the talents of masseuses who also 'walk' in pageants representing Gigi's House. Bursting in on his first entrance, Alvarez embodies the complaint that his character later rails on about: too much drama!  Gigi is a  strict martinet whose over the top ambitions are all about winning trophies and controlling his 'girls.'  

Curtain up on Gigi's FilipinoTown massage parlor where we meet Miracles (Chris Aguila), Jenny (Alan Lucky Weaver) and Carmie (Tonatiuh Elizarraaz), Filipino "lady boys" preparing for an upcoming drag beauty pageant.  Loud and insistent technopop music sets the mood.

Momentarily, Alvarez whisks us across town to Echo Park where Dana  (Renee-Marie Brewster)

Joseph Valdez and Renée-Marie Brewster
Photo by Darrett Sanders

  is currently  campaign manager for her husband Hudson (Joseph Valdez), a Los Angeles under sheriff, who has a serious shot at being elected Sheriff of Los Angeles County.  AJ (Adrian Gonzalez) is on board and attempts to help rein in Hudson's wild brother, Mariano (Wade-Allain Marcus). 

When Mariano, with  slip shod social skills, is exposed regarding  his dalliance with  Miracles by over the top Latin bombshell, Lizette (Anna Lamadrid), also nuts about Mariano, in spite of AJ's doing his best to let her know that he cares truly for her, it threatens Hudson's campaign for sheriff. The plot though already somewhat burdened, becomes more of a problem than expected.  Miracles is madly in love with Mariano, thinking that having 'the operation' will "fix" everything and they can live happily ever after.  Immature and denied a psychological sign off by her doctor to move forward with a full transition, Miracles is obsessed by the idea and longs for the operation, in spite of derision and the strong advice of her colleagues. Vernacular that embraces the term "trans" comes into play with the others understanding that they are males who crossdress and may even live as women, but would never consider themselves 'trans.'  The argument of self diagnosis and immaturity regarding being trapped in the wrong body is never fully discussed.

Oddly, the casting of Aguila as the beauty of the story seems to be a part that Weaver might have played differently.  The term 'fish' is used to delineate who is most feminine and though each of the actors attains a degree of femininity, Weaver's Jenny seemed very comfortable in her own skin. Her religious devotion has moments of comic relief that are welcome.

The story cross cuts from one location to the next with  questions as to why Mariano can't admit his true character and whether or not Miracles will ever be enough for him, or any man as long as she remains a boy.  A gratuitous sex scene leaves Miracles having been taken advantage of as Mariano seduces her by coming to the massage parlor just for a 'massage.' 

Heavy vernacular and high drama keep us guessing. Rodney To's  direction  is spotty with actors often finding their own way to all being on the same page at the same time. 

FIXED by Boni B. Alvarez 

A World Premiere

Directed by Rodney To

The Echo Theater Company

Atwater Village Theatre

3269 Casitas Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90039

Sept. 15 through Oct. 22, 2017

Fridays at 8:30 p.m.

Saturdays at 8:30 p.m.

Sundays at 4 p.m.

Mondays at 8:30 p.m.

 $20-$34

Tickets and Information: 

310-307-3753

www.EchoTheaterCompany.com

DAYTONA AT ROGUE MACHINE

The American premiere of Oliver Cotton's Daytona, directed by Elina de Santos, features veteran actors Richard Fancy, Sharron Shayne and George Wyner.  

George Wyner and Sharron Shayne

Having enjoyed Ms de Santos' Awake and Sing at The Odyssey two years ago, I looked forward to seeing a new play with her at the helm.  A conscientious director can suggest the thread of the play and together with the professionals, they find the way.    

Ms de Santos employs a subtle hand. Over hearing her comment at the intermission, 'Evidently, I am no longer in control,'  may have been an indication that my earlier observation might have been a little off?  However, the depth and breadth of the story in, perhaps, an abbreviated version might have been more appealing.  Designer Hillary Bauman's mid-eighties New York City apartment reflects the simple tastes of Elli (Shayne) and her husband of forty years, Joe (Wyner).  At rise, they skillfully rehearse for a seniors' dance competition, bickering lightly, they show  that their relationship has passed the test of time.  

Oliver Cotton's play moves slowly and deliberately.  The phone rings: no one there and then, a buzz on the buzzer announces a visitor.  

"Who is it?" 

"It's Billy." 

"Who Billy?" 

"Billy the kid!.. Billy! I'm your brother!"

Billy  (Fancy) arrives at the door shivering with the winter cold.  Joe is shocked to see him. It's been many years since the camps and their younger days in 1945.  At 72 and 74 Billy and Joe have a history .. a complicated history that involves some business dealing that is in question, as well as their mutual connection to Elli.  

Joe's reluctance to see his brother warms as Billy removes his coat to reveal an Aloha shirt and eventually a long, long, long story about a sleazy hotel in Daytona (thus the name of the play) as well as where he has been for all these years... with a new non-Jewish name, living in Ohio with a wife and two kids and doing well in real estate. Now, things have taken a turn for the worse.

Billy's extended monologue is slow to reveal that while in Daytona, he is positive that he has discovered a familiar face: Gruper (Gruber?) a sadistic Nazi guard who killed Jews in the camp for sport.  How Fancy has committed this monologue to memory is laudable.  That director de Santos has done her best to keep the story moving is something that seems close to impossible because the over wordiness has us slogging step by step with Billy as he recounts in minute detail the discovery of the Nazi guard and, finally his solution to his grim discovery. 

The tension created by Billy's arrival and confession to his brother of what happened in Daytona, as well as Act II revelations as to how Elli factors into the mix may work by the actors having somewhat overcome the script.  Ms Shayne, absent for most of the first act, returns to the surprise of encountering Billy after many years to reveal their own intriguing connection.  

Sharon Shayne and Richard Fancy

Act II has uncomfortable bumps now and then with uneven performances.  Tensions rise and fall.The outcome is fraught with moral dilemma.  Cotton breaks the dramatic rule about a gun on stage. 

Cotton, a British actor, may have stepped outside his comfort zone to pen a story about Jewish immigrants in New York City.  Accents are difficult, at best, to bring off on stage and with Billy's chosen seclusion in Ohio, "you always sounded like a Yank," Joe says; Joe's indeterminate voice and especially difficult to decipher, Elli's German, Jewish sound, getting all of the dialogue was not easy. With a couple of Opening Night mix ups, pace and length factored in. 

 

Daytona by  Oliver Cotton

Directed by Elina de Santos

The American Premiere

Rogue Machine Theatre

Opened September 9, 2017

Saturdays and Mondays at 8:30

Sundays at 3PM

Through October 30, 2017

No performances 9/25 and 10/2   

The Met

1089 N. Oxford Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90029

Tickets and information:

855 585 5185

www.roguemachinetheatre.com

 

THE RAINBOW BRIDGE at the Ruskin

The Rainbow Bridge

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play. All the animals who had been ill or old are made whole and strong again.

The animals are happy and content, except for one thing.
They each miss someone very special who had to be left
behind. Until the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. He runs from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted.

And when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion. Happy kisses rain upon your face as you look into the trusting eyes of your pet, long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together. Author unknown.

 

Emily Jerez, Paul Schackman, Mary Carrig, and Lynne Marie Stewart

 Photo by Ed Krieger

It is always intriguing to get in on a World Premiere.  The challenge for any playwright is to find a place to do the show and  the Ruskin Group Theatre is well known for embracing new projects as well as the tried and true plays that it finds interesting.  

Playwright Ron Nelson sees his play as a 'vitamin for the soul.'     We have all heard that "Laughter is the Best Medicine" and make no mistake The Rainbow Bridge has some laughs.   

Picture, if you will.. a tiny stage with walls decorated with different colored canvas banners, by scenic designer Hillary Bauman, attached to posts by grommets to indicate various scene settings.  Scene changes are rigorously attended to by cast and crew, different colored banners indicating a new location.  I liked the banners and the grommets, but the changes were a bit time consuming.

Back to my Twilght Zone introduction, Imagine, if you will, that little Charlie, the Jack Russell terrier left to Jerry by his alcoholic mother, Lois (dear Lynne Marie Stewart)  and somewhat skanky sister, Amanda (Amy Schumer look-a-like Mary Karrig) after they died in tandem: Amanda: suicide by pistol and Lois slipping in the blood!! 
Lights up:  we meet Charlie (recently euthanized, lying under a little blanket) by the very sexy vet Dr. Stein (sexy Jaimi Paige), who insists that the (not so) bereaved Jerry (very loud and exuberant throughout Paul Schackman) read aloud the healing poem/prayer called The Rainbow Bridge (see above / please click on the image for a larger view).   Jerry has had to put poor Charlie down because it was simply the humane thing to do.  Dr. Stein insists that he needs to resolve his pain (of which he apparently has none). Jerry reads the prayer aloud and with a rainbow flash, both dead Lois and dead Amanda appear!  And,  not unlike Topper or Blythe Spirit, they taunt the poor guy as he struggles as an attorney and a loving dad and husband who has become a compromised son/brother.  

The sitcom rhythms are interrupted by frequent scene changes with Lois and Amanda hounding Jerry incessantly from scene to scene.  Hilarity ensues with Jerry attempting his 'normal' life while dealing with the ghosts of his dead mother and sister who cannot be seen, of course, by anyone but him.  The way to send these harpies back to where ever they came from takes time to develop and the true character of Jerry, whose basic ethics are challenged from the get go, is a little difficult to grasp, but after several scene changes and discussion with and demands by the ghosts, we come full circle. 

Performances by the supporting cast:  Emily Jerez, Mouchette Van Helsdingen and  L. Emile Thomas round out the argument of this very odd black comedy.  

THE RAINBOW BRIDGE 

by Ron Nelson

 Ruskin Group Theatre 

 3000 Airport Avenue

Santa Monica, CA 90405

Opened Friday, July 21, 2017

Fridays - Saturdays at 8pm, 

 Sundays at 2pm  

Through September 17, 2017

Tickets $25 

$20 for students, seniors, and guild members

Information: (310) 397-3244 or online at www.ruskingrouptheatre.com. 

Ample free parking available on site.