From the outset, Tom Jacobson's debuting play "The Chinese Massacre (Annotated)," dramatizing Los Angeles' first race riot, in 1871, makes it clear that, in presenting its view of a shameful historical chapter, it will emulate Bertolt Brecht's techniques for guiding audiences to an intellectual rather than an emotional response.
As ensemble members playing various characters periodically interrupt the action to offer informational tidbits and commentary, this repeatedly reminds us we're watching a play. In so doing, Jacobson's cerebral drama strives to elicit reflections on our culture's current collective social conscience. How much have things changed? Or have they? Amid the depictions of the incidents leading to 18 Chinese men being slain by a mob of 500, one character mutters the famous Rodney King statement: "Can't we just get along?"
Late-19th-century L.A. was a Wild West civilization, dominated by crime organizations and overrun with gambling and prostitution. A Chinese woman (Elizabeth Ho) serving as a virtual sex slave was kidnapped from one organization and married to a Chinese man (West Liang) in another; this precipitated a gun battle, during which a white male bystander was gunned down. This caused rapidly escalating tensions among the powerful gangs and rising prejudices among white citizens, instigating the eventual calamity. Jacobson frames the story within an unusual 1891 meeting between a revivalist, the Rev. Crenshaw (Silas Weir Mitchell), and a Chinese businessman (Liang), who recall the past. Jacobson wisely saves the most fascinating revelations about the main characters for the play's final moments.
Director Jeff Liu's production becomes more involving when it moves past the choppy early sequences into brilliantly staged action scenes, moving toward an intriguing climax. Jacobson's storytelling isn't always as lucidly or cohesively structured as it should be. Yet compensations come via the intrinsic power of the true events and splendid performances from the versatile 14-member cast. Particularly strong are Mitchell as the possibly duplicitous reverend, Liang in two roles that harbor big surprises, Ho as the human chattel caught amid the gang rivalry, and Lisa Tharps as Biddy Mason, a black slave turned philanthropist.
The magnificent designs are a major boon to this amazingly ambitious project, namely Thomas Ontiveros' masterfully atmospheric lighting, Sibyl Wickersheimer's sprawling set—almost a character in itself—and Dianne K. Graebner's authentic-looking costumes.
Presented by Circle X Theatre Company at the Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., Atwater Village. Apr. 22–May 28. Thu.–Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 and 7 p.m. (323) 644-1929 or www.circlextheatre.org.