Death Before Cocktails 

Review by Neal Weaver 
Theatre 68 
Through May 13 

Playwright Laureen Vonnegut’s dark comedy tackles a range of issues, from life and death to sexual identity, sexual confusion, and snarled emotional entanglements. It’s set in a Palm Springs cocktail lounge called, with heavy symbolism, The Last Stop.

Actress and celebrity Sophia has committed suicide, and her twin sister, science-fiction writer Lana (Ariel Hart), has invited some of their mutual friends to a decidedly unorthodox wake. One-hit musician Clive (Paul Keany) has recently changed his chosen identity from bisexual to gay, and taken a male lover, Mario (Damien Diaz). Mario is a militantly gay Mexican dentist, given to cocaine snorting, obsessed with Emily Post, and profoundly distrustful toward valet parking attendants. Bar owner Will (Tom Kearney) is a committed heterosexual who has recently discovered he has a teenage daughter, Ruth (Rose Hunter), and hired her as a waitress in his establishment. Ruth is a religious conservative and professional virgin who nevertheless throws herself at every man who crosses her path. And, as it turns out, she idolized the late Sophia.

Personal relations among the members of the group are complicated and confusing. Will was formerly involved with both Sophia and Lana. Lana and Clive are best friends and were once engaged. She resents his newly declared homosexuality because it creates a part of his life that excludes her. Ruth was a fan of Clive’s music and hero-worships him. And Will is furious with Clive because he had a previous, possibly sexual, encounter with nubile daughter Ruth.

Will is also intrigued with Lana, alternately asking her to marry him and announcing he won’t, won’t, won’t marry her. And Mario is a loose cannon who unnerves everybody.

The situation reaches a climax of sorts when Lana reveals the odd and slightly unnerving contents of Sophia’s will.

Vonnegut’s script works best on the level of comedy. Much of it is very funny. But when it turns serious, things get murky, and none of the issues is satisfactorily resolved. The playwright just ends the proceedings with a life-affirming monologue. One only wishes it had come at least 20 minutes sooner.

Co-directors Vonnegut and Alex Rotaru keep the action spinning merrily along, and the actors all reveal formidable comic chops. Hart’s Lana seems to possess emotional depths greater than the play provides. Diaz is dizzily manic and over-the-top, while the others skillfully navigate the improbable shifts in character and plot.

Argent Lloyd designed the stylized and symmetrical set and Jennifer Nwene created an ever shifting lighting design.

Theatre 68, 5112 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood. Friday-Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 7 p.m. https://buytickets.at/deathbeforecocktails/155994, Running time: One hour and 35 minutes with no intermission.