The Conduct of Life

Theatre Asylum
Through June 28

RECOMMENDED:

Photo by Kate Hagerty

In an unidentified country, ambitious military officer Orlando (Robert Homer Mollohan) wants to “achieve maximum power.” His sensitive wife Leticia (Karina Wolfe) wants to “be a woman who speaks in a group and have everybody listen.” But she won’t stand up to him, even once she becomes aware of Nena (Emily Yetter), the young girl that Orlando keeps and rapes in the basement. Orlando’s colleague Alejo (Jeremy Mascia) impotently wonders if “anybody can change anything.” He, too, fails to speak up against the torture he and Orlando perpetrate against the government’s enemies. It is finally Orlando and Leticia’s maid Olimpia (Belinda Gosbee) who even attempts to stand up to Orlando and protect Nena. Yet even she only has limited success in doing either.

Maria Irene Fornes’s Obie award-winning 1985 play about cruelty and power remains as resonant today as when it was written. Despite the tiny space and less-than-ideal use of work lights, director Sabina Ptasznik stages the piece with a ferocity and nuance that communicates both the horror of violence and our tacit acceptance of it. Mollohan radiates Orlando’s rage (even if not his pain), Wolfe skillfully balances Leticia’s cool exterior and her petrifying insecurity, and Yetter’s portrayal of Nena’s innocence is heartbreaking.—Mayank Keshaviah

The Vagrancy at Theater Asylum (Asylum Lab), 6322 Santa Monica Blvd.;

www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/1593

Thistle & Weeds

The Elephant Space at Theatre Asylum
Through June 28

Photo courtesy: Alchemy Theatre Company

The title of this play may seem familiar because it’s shared by a Mumford & Sons song. As both also share a somber mood, one wonders if playwright Stephen C. John may have found the song inspirational in crafting this story of a man who refuses to capitulate during the London Blitz. That man, Percy (Michael Renney), will not go down to the bomb shelter and leave the flat he inhabits (nicely appointed in period furniture by Meghan McCarthy), despite his friend Syd (Tyler Campbell) begging him to do so.

“Civility is all we can hold onto,” Percy tells Syd, even as they are interrupted by air raid sirens and bombs exploding outside, courtesy of a Kris Kataoka’s resonant sound design and a clever technique employed by live cellist Michelle Packman. Packman also provides a cinematic-style scoring to the piece. Once Syd leaves, Percy discovers a young girl (Alexis Slear) hiding in the flat, and they share moments that reveal why Percy will not leave a flat that doesn’t even belong to him. Jesse Runde’s direction is creative and makes the most of the material. However, a lengthier exploration of the story might help it realize its full dramatic potential.—Mayank Keshaviah

Alchemy Theatre Company at The Elephant Space, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd. www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/1804

These reviews are offered via a partnership between L.A. Weekly and Stage Raw. To maximize coverage of the Hollywood Fringe Festival, the two publications are sharing reviews and funding responsibilities. Stage Raw is an Emerge Project of the Pasadena Arts Council, with other funding coming from a combination of advertising and individual donors.  For the L.A. Weekly, please visit www.laweekly.com