GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE
“He Hunts” Geffen Playhouse (310) 208-5454 Through May 19
Bring Kleenex. Audience members are sure to laugh until they cry while watching Georges Feydeau’s play “He Hunts.” Translated by Philip Littell, the French farce is one of clever and quick-witted comedy. The play begins with Leontine, a rich and beautiful lady, who is married to Duchotel. However, audience members soon meet Moricet, an unmarried doctor, who pines for Leontine’s love. Things only become more amusing when Moricet meets Madame Latour (Carol Kane), a former countess with a “slight” drinking problem, who adds to the twisting of fate and complications. Moricet, played by Stephen Nichols, can be overly emotional in an absolutely hilarious way. He delivers his lines and portrays the part of a distraught man with fun and outlandish manners. Valerie Pettiford (Leontine) plays her part to the max, whether acting as the loving wife or the catty lover. Other cast members also add to the color and vivaciousness of the play, whether it be the stereotypical French maid who dislikes everything or the husband who copies his nephew’s ridiculous fashion sense. Although the farce focuses on sex, it is ironic in the sense that no one in the play actually “gets any.” Every time Moricet gets remotely close to having his chance, he is interrupted or humiliated in new and amusing ways by Madame Latour. Although audience members may think the worse has happened and there is no getting out of the twists that have been made, everything comes together in the end. Whether they come together for the best or worse is the question the audience must decide, but in so doing, they will discover a play full of amusement and laughter.
Laura Morgan
“TAPE” Coast Playhouse (323) 856-4200 Through May 11
Sex. Drugs. Rape. Mix these ingredients together, throw them into a seedy Lansing, Michigan hotel room, and you get Steven Belber’s titillating new play “Tape.” The play recounts the story of two high school buddies who reunite and end up discussing a fateful night during senior year when one of them may have raped the other guy’s high school girlfriend. Drama continues to build as the girlfriend shows up, insults are thrown and the cops are called. The play is a whirlwind, mind boggling, convoluted concoction made up of everything from a pot-smoking, crack-snorting drug dealer to a professional assistant district attorney with a potty mouth. Coupling the plot together with the characters, it’s easy to see the situation on “Jerry Springer: I may or may not have raped my best friend gone drug dealer’s high school ex-girlfriend ten years ago, and he’s come back for revenge.” By having an underlying profound theme, Belber presents a play that is both enjoyable and insightful. Not only does he entertain the audience, he also makes them analyze themselves at the same time. The acting further added to the play’s amazing qualities. Dominic Fumusa, as Vince, turned in a remarkably realistic performance of a drug dealer on a “moral crusade” to clear up his best friend’s wrongs. Alison West, as Amy, blew the audience away not only with her impeccable fashion sense (Go Anne Taylor!), but also her passionately articulate performance. Overall, “Tape” was a successfully entertaining performance. Though it had its flaws, they were overshadowed by the play’s deep theme of remembering and analyzing one’s past (and of course the joint the actors smoked on stage). Thought definitely not a first-date play to go see with a new honey (or feminist), “Tape” would be well suited for the insightful, compassionate quality inside of most people (if it exists). It’s a worthwhile evening filled with drugs, sex and a shady hotel room – who needs a hooker?
Siddarth Puri