Lost Lake
Reviewed by Socks Whitmore
Crimson Square Theatre Company at the Beverly Hills Playhouse
Thru Oct. 9
A personal note of caution for sensitive theater-goers: This show contains stage blood, multiple instances of thrown and shattering objects, and a discussion of suicide.
On the floor of a dingy lakeside cabin, surrounded by shattered glass, two very different people sit in what cannot be described as friendship, but is something more nuanced and inexplicable than everyday acquaintanceship. At Beverly Hills Playhouse, the main stage is now occupied by a production of David Auburn’s 2014 two-person play Lost Lake, featuring Lisagaye Tomlinson as the overwhelmed mother, Veronica, and Craig Bachmann as the simple, well-meaning cabin owner Hogan, whose undefined neurodivergence seems to have left him barely able to get by. Veronica rents Hogan’s cabin by the lake for a week of the summer to briefly escape her stressful city life with her children, but as their getaway continues to fall apart (literally), tensions between her and Hogan come to a head.
The actors for this rendition of Auburn’s piece are well-cast and their performances are generally solid, even when the material doesn’t give them a lot to work with. The first 20-30 minutes are unfortunately dull due to cyclical emotional beats and a lack of drive in the dialogue, resulting in a rather dry and tense introduction to a pair of (initially) unlikable humans. But the writing does warm up, and by Act 2 the jokes and lowering of emotional walls offer much more interest to hold audience attention. The number of obvious line fumbles during opening weekend lead one to wonder if the material was slightly under-rehearsed, though one may also optimistically anticipate that the material will settle over the run of the production.
Director Faye Viviana makes her LA theatrical directing debut more or less successfully, even if some of her choices are unimaginative and indicative of her beginner status. The wood-walled set and sparse furnishings of the Playhouse’s production are a solid match for the world supplied by the play, but the design elements weaken from there. The preshow music is a vaguely country playlist interspersed with Spotify ads, the chirping cricket sound effects play on loop without variation for much of the show, and the transitions between scenes are somewhat slow and clunky, with forgettable instrumental music slapped on top as a Band-Aid. The onstage injury scene in Act 2 goes particularly well, featuring precisely timed maneuvers without detracting from the sincerity of Tomlison’s performance as Veronica.
Still, several plot holes go unpatched, including a lack of evidence that Veronica’s children are anywhere in the vicinity and some unclear timelines between scenes. The abrupt ending leaves the futures of its characters uncertain, both together and as individuals, but with the complexity of Hogan’s situation and the impermanent nature of the two characters’ relationship, it’s hard to imagine the show ending any other way.
This show has great ideas but doesn’t quite hit the mark; however, one looks forward to seeing the two starring actors return to the stage in roles that elevate their talents.
Crimson Square Theatre Company at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, 254 South Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills; Fri. & Sat., 8:00 pm; Sun., 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm. https://crimsonsquare.org Running time, 2 hours 10 minutes including one intermission
Running time: 2 hours 10 minutes including one intermission
