All This Intimacy
Reviewed by Julia Lloyd George
studio/stage
Through February 19
They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results. If that’s true, expect a rather maddening protagonist in the form of Ty (Héctor Zapata), a poetry professor who has managed to impregnate three women in one week. It’s certainly a comically absurd scenario, but watching a man get continually yelled at by the women he’s wronged and still never change his behavior turns out to be almost as frustrating to witness on stage as it is to experience. Despite the strength of the performances and Dan Lovato’s direction, it’s never quite clear what the play is trying to say; Rajiv Joseph may be a widely lauded playwright and Pulitzer Prize finalist for Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, but it’s obvious that All This Intimacy was one of his earliest, sketchiest efforts. Though it has its funny moments, they’re not quite enough to make up for the play’s lack of self-knowledge.
Saddled with an undeniably difficult role, Zapata still makes the most of what he’s given. His puppyish take on Ty is especially charming at first, even as he whines about his ridiculous situation to his best friend, Seth (Victor Daniel), who is appropriately appalled. Seth makes an appealing foil for Ty — morally upright and in a committed relationship, he also attempts to solve every problem with as much eagerness as Ty seems to create new ones.
Ty’s explanation of how he got into love affairs with his various baby mamas are some of the funniest scenes of the play. The first is his older, married neighbor, Maureen (Christin Wright), who heads next door for a romp on Ty’s couch that becomes one of many. The second is Jen (Gia Kim), Ty’s on-again, off-again girlfriend. Kim plays Jen as kind, but also self-reliant and fed up with Ty’s lack of consistency. Her sister, Franny (Nicole Ohara), however, is truly the most fed up out of the whole bunch. A highly strung, Type A presence, Franny initially responds to Jen’s pregnancy news by complaining that Jen’s big belly will ruin Franny’s wedding photos. Though she’s certainly abrasive, Franny is also surprisingly lovable. Major credit for this is due to Ohara, whose impeccable sense of comic timing ensured she got a lot of laughs. Franny’s almost unfailing anger with Ty also makes her the most logical character there.
The final baby mama is the most controversial: Ty’s 18-year-old student. Becca (Paula Helena) may be the butt of some generational difference jokes, but she comes off as quite mature for her age and surprisingly calm about her pregnancy predicament. Any other response, however, would only emphasize how problematic the fling between her and her professor is. Her maturity and calm feel convenient, a way to make an exploitative affair seem more normal and riper for comedy.
Though these female characters are the best reason to see the play, they unfortunately do not anchor it or ever seem to triumph over their shared burden of getting knocked up by an irredeemable asshole. They may move on, but their pain remains front and center. The primary perspective — in case his tiring monologues ever let you forget — remains Ty’s. Aware of his flaws yet unwilling to change, he simply sits in the mess he’s made and turns it into poetry. Life goes on and, for all we know, the cycle may even continue.
studio/stage, 520 N. Western Ave., Los Angeles; Feb. 18 & 19, 7:30 pm. https://allthisintimacy.bpt.me/. Running time: one hour and 15 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.
