All is Fair

Reviewed by Deborah Klugman
The Dorie Theatre at The Complex
Through April 24

In All is Fair, writer/director/lead performer Reed Arnold displays a knack for plausible dialogue. But a good drama needs more than natural-sounding speech to be meaningful or interesting.

Arnold plays Dan, a 20-something accountant who’s drawn to his co-worker Heather (Sarah Elizabeth Johnston), a lively flirtatious woman engaged to marry another guy. As a principled person, Dan resists her come-ons for a while, but eventually she wears him down and the two engage in hot-and-heavy coupling that goes on for months.

As her wedding approaches Heather shows no sign of wanting to cease or desist; one minute she’s declaring her love for Pete (the trusting fiancé whom we never meet), while the next she’s engaged, guilt-free, in a fierce carnal embrace with the smitten Dan. Meanwhile, Dan’s roomie Chris (Michael Minto) keeps issuing dire warnings, which Dan ignores, that heartbreak lies ahead.

That’s basically the whole plot, extended for two hours and fifty minutes, including an all-too-brief intermission. From the beginning, it’s impossible to care about either lover: Dan because he’s such a bland and obtuse sap; Heather because she’s so self-absorbed and never cops to her own duplicity. Nor does it help that these characters are accountants and not, say, mad artists, with some colorful behavior to distract one from the commonplace narrative.

It’s generally a bad idea to direct oneself, even if you’re a theater veteran, which Arnold is not. In this case, while a good director might have helped with the pacing, there’s not much he or she could have done to repair the play’s sophomoric substance.

Both principal performers are attractive people and Johnston has a promising presence, obviated by the annoying aspects of her character. Minto as Dan’s roommate and Ross Gallo as the co-worker whose watchful eye the pair must dodge do the best they can with the roles they’re given.

The Dorie Theatre at The Complex, 6476 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; through April 24. 323-465-0383, allisfairplay.com/tickets.  Running time: Two hours and 50 minutes with one ten minute intermission.