Famous

Reviewed by Angie Hoover
The 11:11 Theater
Extended through September 30

Famous, written and directed by Michael Leoni, gets off to a slow start but ultimately captures the isolation and voicelessness that turns child actors to addiction and other forms of self-destruction. What begins as an empty play about wealthy, image-obsessed industry people slowly becomes the study of a sick machine fueled by greed and exploitation. By the story’s end, a genuine empathy is cultivated for celebrities who are often ridiculed, dismissed, and chastised for their spoiled behaviors.

Billed as “an experience” rather than a play, the show’s technical aspects are immersive and character-driven. Supporting (sometimes carrying) the pathos of the narrative is the highly cinematic lighting design by Martha Carter. Utilizing spotlights, strobes, and surreal slow motion sequences in floods of blue and red, Carter adds an avant-garde sensibility that is pivotal to the show’s impact. In the opening scenes, her techniques are used to convey the emotional disconnection that paralyzes actor Jason Mast (Christopher Dietrick) on the night of his first Oscar nomination. In stark, bright flashes, a whirlwind of agents, managers, producers, and other former child stars infest his home, building a nest of drugs, sex, and loneliness. At first, Mast’s emotional exhaustion is all that viewers can latch onto, but his backstory, told through hallucinations and spiritual encounters with his former self, deepens the plot substantially.

Adding a level of realism that is uncomfortable but essential, Jason Mast and his celebrity friends are seemingly based on the male child actors who fell prey to Marc Collins-Rector, Brock Pierce, and others associated with the DEN pedophile ring in the early 1990s. Flashbacks within the narrative clearly draw from detailed accounts of sexual abuse that were released in the 2014 film, Open Secret, a documentary about pedophilia and sexual predators in the entertainment industry. Those familiar with this film will find the story much more tragic and disturbing and may perceive Mast’s mansion as a Never Neverland where broken people remain children, unwilling to face the painful happenings that brought them success.

It is unfortunately a downfall of the production that the characters, most specifically the villains, are one-note, lacking a human complexity which fosters an emotional connection for the audience. The protagonists feel slightly more fleshed out, revealing both likable and dislikable qualities that make them somewhat authentic. Regardless of its flaws, however, the piece has something to say, and the technical elements come together so beautifully that the audience leaves reflecting on both large societal problems and deeply personal issues.

The 11:11, 1107 N Kings Rd., West Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 7 p.m.; Extended through September 30. https://www.the1111space.com/ or (323) 378-6969. Running Time: 120 minutes; 15 minute intermission.