Becca Lustgarten
Reviewed by Deborah Klugman
The Actors Company at the Hollywood Fringe
Through June 30
At some time or another, most of us have encountered someone resembling the supercilious character who appears in writer/performer Becca Lustgarten’s solo show, Dear Auntie B.
Such people appear supremely confident of their own judgment and usually behave disdainfully whenever they see or hear something that does not accord with what they think is right or proper or cool. They work hard to project an air of invincibility and superiority over others, yet underneath they are just as frightened and vulnerable as anyone.
Lustgarten’s Auntie B is an advice columnist. In the play, she sits at her desk, answering letters, mostly from the lovelorn, a liquor bottle always within reach. Between replies, she rises from that desk to share with the audience her philosophy and experience — which pretty much boils down to always considering one’s own welfare first. The drama that emerges in the course of her confidences is less about what she shares than what she hides.
In terms of satire, this is potentially feracious stuff. Directed by Sally Hughes, Lustgarten successfully cultivates Auntie B’s chilly veneer. She’s got the red pants and the fur jacket and the coolly coiffed and flawlessly applied cosmetics. Her smile can be frighteningly feral. (Yet at intervals, she’ll hum or vocalize some romantic tune, rather nicely.)
The play, strong in concept, struck me as a work-in-progress, chiefly because what we come to learn about this character and her life can be developed more fully. The people in B’s life, those she refers to and whose actions precipitate her transformation, are yet a blueprint. Their evolution, along with the narrative attached to them, is a project I hope Lustgarten plans to invest in.
The Actors Company at The Little Theatre, 916 N. Formosa Avenue, W. Hollywood. Remaining performances: Mon., June 24, 7:30 pm, Fri., June 28, 10 pm. https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/10714?tab=tickets Running time: approximately 45 minutes.
