Scott Harris, Kaili Hollister, Jolene Hjerleid (Photo courtesy of The Actors’ Gang)
Reviewed by Madison Mellon
The Actors’ Gang
Thru Dec. 14
We live in a chaotic socioeconomic climate, where wealthy politicians and elite billionaires seem to be transforming the country into more of a circus with each passing day. Methusalem, or The Eternal Bourgeois sets out to skewer this ruling capitalist class. The current production at The Actors’ Gang, directed by Brent Hinkley, demonstrates that little has changed in the century since the play was written. (The company first presented the play in Los Angeles, directed by Tim Robbins, in 1985-1986 at the Wallenboyd Theatre.)
Methusalem was penned in 1921 by Franco-German playwright Ivan Goll. It combines elements of surrealism and German expressionism with farce and commedia dell’arte. The Actors’ Gang smartly incorporates contemporary issues into their production, such as striking workers complaining about AI technology, to draw a clear parallel to the incompetence of the modernday bourgeois.
The play is a high-energy, absurdist farce that requires complete commitment from the actors involved for it to land effectively. Kudos must be given to Scott Harris, who plays Methusalem, the out-of-touch factory owner at the center of the show. His physical acting and pantomime garnered frequent laughter from the audience, particularly in a scene where he is overcome with a bout of flatulence as he ascends the stairs. Pierre Adeli plays Methusalem’s son, Felix, and manages to milk all the comedy out of his role as he vacillates between affable buffoon and petulant bully. However, some of the scenes are performed at such a cartoonish fever pitch that they feel static and have little room to build and develop. This level of intensity also makes the dialogue difficult to understand at times, undermining some of the more subtle satire in the piece.
The design of the production takes heavy inspiration from German expressionist films, such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Metropolis. Projection designer Cihan Sahin effectively sets the mood for the piece through the use of surreal, stark imagery displayed on a scrim and the two side walls of the theater. A gag with a projected elevator got a particularly raucous audience response. Two-dimensional props and set pieces, designed by Chris Bell, mirror the expressionist style of the projections. The production could have benefited from more physical design elements to flesh out the world of the piece — when the projections were not being used, the stage felt relatively bare and nondescript. Overall, the design elements create a cohesive stage picture and evoke the seediness of Weimar-era Germany.
Audiences expecting a particularly deep and biting satire might walk away from Methusalem disappointed. The play never quite reaches the same level of incisive wit as shows with a similar sensibility, such as The Threepenny Opera. That being said, The Actors’ Gang production does make a persuasive case as to why Methusalem is still relevant. The show holds up a funhouse mirror to the absurd world we currently live in, and that may be what we need in these trying times.
The Actors’ Gang, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City. Thurs.-Sat., 8 pm; thru Dec. 14. www.TheActorsGang.com Running time 80 minutes without intermission.
