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La Llorona
Reviewed by Pauline Adamek
Theatre of NOTE
Through June 27
Performed with every other scene in Spanish, and based on a popular Hispanic legend – the Weeping Woman – Matt DeNoto’s drama makes a parallel between the original myth, with its roots in the Greek tale of Medea, and a contemporary family that has fallen on hard times. Lupe (Dolores Quintana) is a single mother trying to raise her sullen teenaged daughter Nicolaza (Amanda Newman) and five-year-old son Jorge (Lakshika DeSilva). In trying to manage her stubborn, squabbling children, Lupe and her brother Eduardo (Abel Horwitz) try to keep them in line with the tale of La Llorona – a wailing ghost who abducts naughty children.
In the flashback scenes that form the myth, we see the effect that the tempestuous marriage between sultry dancer Maria and lothario Valentino (Martina Medina and Joaquin Camilo, respectively) has on Maria’s sanity, leading her to commit an horrific act. Even though these scenes are played in Spanish, their general meaning is conveyed well by the actors. Camilo plays up his allure with a deadpan demeanor that, while amusing, feels at odds with the horror that ensues. The present-day scenes are played for drama, with the family’s desperation leading to disaster. Unfortunately La Llorona is so fraught with screaming, shrieking and overplayed drama that, even at its brief 70 minutes, if gets tiresome.
Theatre of NOTE, 1517 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hlywd.; through June 27. https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/2394
A Very Modern Marriage
Reviewed by Pauline Adamek
Lounge Theatre
Through June 27
In Arthur M. Jolly’s domestic comedy, A Very Modern Marriage, a bickering couple finds an unorthodox solution to their troubled marriage.
Arriving home from a romantic dinner out, Tina (Deborah Jensen) is surprised by a thoughtful gift from Matthew, her husband of six years, played by Donal Thoms-Cappello. Their amorous bliss rapidly devolves into a shouting match when Matthew reminds Tina that she has forgotten their anniversary. They squabble over who is more passively-aggressive, and over the difference between a truce and calling for peace. Their arguments are so ferocious, it’s difficult to believe their relationship has lasted for one year let alone six. Suddenly their friend Christopher (Esteban Andres Cruz) shows up, needing a place to crash for a few days. He’s broken up with his boyfriend, so he sets his sights on repairing his friends’ marriage. But Christopher is an intrusive and devious character who does almost as much harm as good.
Jolly’s semi-farce is desperately unfunny, increasingly ludicrous and the glib lines fall flat. While the performances are good – especially the split-second comic timing that’s required at times – Cruz’s character is an obnoxious and grating provocateur.
Lounge Theatre, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.; through June 27. https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/2273
