Reviewed by Martίn Hernández
The GGC Theatre
Through April 19
Playwright Neal Bell’s 1977 two-hander is a noirish crime drama reminiscent of gritty 1940s detective movies depicting the underbelly of big city America that is rife with corporate greed and political corruption. Pitting a dogged cop and a damaged and suspicious female in a bizarre psychosexual dynamic, the piece has the potential for an intriguing cat and mouse game. Director Gloria Gifford’s production, however, has her actors’ tension scale set so high from the jump that there is little room for emotional maneuvering. The unfortunate results are underdeveloped characters, histrionic performances, and angry shouting matches in lieu of nuanced line deliveries of the cryptic dialogue.
In an unnamed metropolis in 1972, Lt. Brann (Keith Walker) bangs on the apartment door of a scantily clad Eileen (Keturah Hamilton) and then bursts in before she can even open it. The gruff Brann is investigating the recent disappearance of Eileen’s two small children, and within seconds of meeting the distraught mother, a cocktail server at a strip club, he has her pegged as the prime suspect. As he inundates Eileen with questions about her failing marriage, her questionable behavior with men and her lack of concern for her children, Brann develops a warped obsession with her, an unconventional woman who both revolts and entices him.
“Why are you here?” Eileen implores Brann at numerous points as he invades her apartment at all hours of the day and night — which begs the question: “Why doesn’t she just lock the door?” Eventually they reach a detente of sorts, with Brann revealing unsettling aspects about his own marriage and children while Eileen reflects on her own tortured ambivalence about motherhood and guilt over neglecting her kids.
Hamilton and Walker do their best, but their over-the-top renderings call into question their emotional connection. Rather than build the conflict bit by bit, Gifford has the pair start off in a heightened struggle and with incongruous ranting. The production also has a workshop feel which may explain the tenuous turns from the performers. From the moody music – a smoky rendition of “Someone to Watch Over Me” haunts the piece — to Christian Maltez’s rumpled apartment set and Teagan Wilson’s subdued lighting, Gifford’s staging amplifies the eerie tone she has fostered for the story.
Jamaica Moon Productions at The GCC Theatre, 6502 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood; Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 7 pm; thru April 26. https://www.onstage411.com/newsite/show/play_info.asp?show_id=7351 Running time two hours, including 15-minute intermission
