Closer

Reviewed by Julio Martinez
Macha Theatre
Through October 9

British playwright Patrick Marber’s 1997 portrait of four men and women who fail to achieve spiritual as well as sexual intimacy can be likened to a less cerebral, somewhat second-string variation of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, played out like an Arthur Schnitzler daisy chain of lust, disappointment and the need to move on. Since there are only two men and two women in the chain, there are complicated and at times convoluted reasons for the connects, disconnects and reconnects. Played out in twelve cinematic-like scenes, the play suffers from director James Paradise’s complicated scene changes, which slow the pace and dissipate the customarily highly-charged emotional couplings and dissolutions.

Professionally frustrated journalist Dan (Hamish Sturgeon) transports a total stranger, free-spirited Alice (Stephanie Noel Garrison), to a hospital following a minor auto accident, where she is examined briefly by Dr. Larry (Randy Vasquez). The swiftly escalating relationship between Dan and Alice leads to the fulfillment of his dream to complete a novel, which he bases on Alice’s life as a stripper. While being photographed for the launch of his book, he becomes smitten with Anna (Natalie Mitchell), the photographer. However, in a bit of foolish internet gamesmanship, he accidentally sets up a meeting between Larry and Anna. Although Anna is clearly attracted to Dan, she succumbs to the intensity of Larry’s courtship and they marry.      

And then the circle of alliances and betrayals begin. The men, seeming to be incapable of making a total emotional commitment, are the losers. At one critical moment, when Anna and Alice meet, Anna complains, “They love the way we make them feel but not us.” None of these highly flawed individuals has the capacity to live with the pain and anxiety that often accompany an intimate relationship, and so all four suffer along the way.

As Larry, Vasquez communicates his tentative hold on civility by radiating deceptive charm and courtliness. But when Anna proves unfaithful, this social veneer is ripped away, revealing a tormented soul with lower class roots.  Mitchell’s Anna projects an air of aloof sophistication — no hindrance to the man who makes the most compelling advances. Garrison impressively projects Alice’s relentless love for Dan; the character, however, also seems to enjoy a cobra-like fascination for Larry, all the while hiding a secret from both men. And Sturgeon’s Dan is simply a ready but mercurial charmer. He is equally unhappy winning the girl or losing her. The production works because all four performers commit to their characters with truthfulness and vulnerability.     

Designed by Hye Sun Lee, the minimalist set pieces employed to create the various environments — from a hospital waiting room to an aquarium to a strip club and beyond — are too complicated, and slow down the action. Perhaps fewer pieces and a more creative use of the rear projection screen would have been more effective.   

Macha Theatre, 1107 N. Kings Road, West Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sunday, 2 & 6 p.m., through Oct 9; (323) 960-4420 or www.closerThePlay.com. Running time: two hours and 20 minutes with one intermission.