“The Guys” The Actors’ Gang (323)
465-0566 Indefinite run; Future cast TBA
Almost a year after Sept. 11, many of us have become
desensitized from the inundation of media. Anne Nelson’s new
play “The Guys” poignantly recovers the humanness
““ the pain, the irony and the perseverance ““ of
post-Sept. 11 America. Tim Robbins and Helen Hunt kick-start the
indefinite run of this staged reading, but the star power is
anything but a gimmick. Hunt brings skill and sincerity to the role
of Joan, a newspaper editor who helps a fire captain write the
eulogies for eight men lost in the World Trade Center. The moment
Robbins opens his mouth, he stuns the audience with his impeccable
New York accent. He adeptly portrays a gruff Irish-born fire
captain, underscoring the role with vulnerability and grief. The
formula is simple: two chairs with two actors performing an hour
and a half of compelling dialogue that leaves the audience moved
and shaken. The sparse staging and the intimacy of the
Actors’ Gang’s 99-seat theater presents the raw emotion
at full force. “The Guys” pushes the audience to
remember Sept. 11 not as a media news clip, but as an event from
which real people emerged as heroes, real people suffered and real
people are still surviving. -Amber Noizumi
“Romeo and Juliet” (213) 481-2273 Pershing
Square through July 20; South Coast Botanic Garden through Aug.
4
While Shakespeare is often associated with ruffled collars and
tired British accents, Shakespeare Festival/LA’s production
of “Romeo and Juliet” is hip, creative and heated with
energy. The design is so hot that it almost makes you overlook the
complete absence of chemistry between the actors who play the
star-crossed lovers. With hip-hop dancing, original music by
underground band Lava Diva and a setting resembling a disco, the
first half of the play brims with energetic youth. But the sterile
relationship between Romeo and Juliet takes this play from
scorching to lukewarm. Maulik Pancholy, who plays Romeo, lacks the
masculine prowess needed to pull off this romantic hero and at
times seemed more feminine than Juliet. The only hints of passion
were seen in his interactions with Mercutio. The outdoor setting in
downtown’s Pershing Square makes for a nice summer evening of
theatre under the stars. The best part is the admission is free
with a canned food donation. So if you’re up for an enjoyable
evening of Shakespeare and pop culture, this is worth your can of
creamed corn. -Amber Noizumi