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I See You Made an Effort

Reviewed by Deborah Klugman

Skylight Theatre

Through June 7

One way to tackle your demons is to write a book about them. Another way is to condense your recollections into a solo performance piece that resembles a standup comedy routine. Annabelle Gurwitch has done both.

I See You Made an Effort was published as a book of essays in 2014 and Gurwitch presents highlights from that book in her 70-minute one-woman show, which is directed – somewhat desultorily — by Bart DeLorenzo.

 The main theme of the piece is the shock and awe of the writer-performer at turning 50. Gurwitch’s target audience might be women of a similar sensibility who are haunted by that notion and want to find a way to laugh about it. For those of us who can barely remember that milestone, or others who haven’t yet come close, the performer’s plaints and anecdotes don’t seem that interesting.

 Besides the terrors wrought from her aging appearance (and by the way, Gurwitch looks terrific), she talks a lot about her relationship with her 14-year- old son and the problems of being a mom to a young teen who has zero tolerance for just about anything you do or say. She also mentions her parents, mostly her mom, who is fond of sending her useless china or champagne glasses, and who has a primitive understanding of the Internet.

 This stuff is sort of amusing over a cup of coffee but it’s hardly rip-roaringly funny, though I can see this material transformed into a passably watchable family film.

Bottom line: Gurwitch hasn’t introduced anything new to territory that’s been raked over before. And it doesn’t help that there’s so little spontaneity to her delivery.

 Yes, middle-aged middle-class women deserve a voice like anyone else, but when that voice sounds so very self-involved, it defeats itself.

The Skylight Theatre, 1816 ½ N. Vermont Ave., Hlywd.; Sat. 6 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; Mon., 8 p.m.; through June 7. (213) 761-7061, www.boxoffice@skylighttix.com.