LA Review: 'Coronado'

Keeping things straight in this Los Angeles premiere of screenwriter Dennis Lehane’s lone foray into playwriting is like peeling back the proverbial layers of an onion. Three seemingly separate story lines converge with powerful, often sadistic consequences. Lehane’s script, however, suffers from the filmlike structure he seems more comfortable crafting. Abrupt cuts between scenes, supposedly all set in the same locales, give one pause as to why characters are oblivious one moment and observant the next of each other's outbursts. Eventually, a somewhat ragged M. Night Shyamalan–esque denouement attempts to clarify the proceedings as they stumble to the finish line. Still, this complicated set of subplots is handled rather well by director Drew Shirley and an excellent ensemble cast.

Without divulging specifics, it’s safe to say that sociopathy rules the day when it comes to Lehane’s characters. Brahm Gallagher and David Preston lead the parade as a pair of opportunistic narcissists whose use of physical violence is shockingly visceral. Eliciting genuine sympathy while suffering at the hands of these two are Gina Lohman, as an unhappy young bride; Mark Schroeder, as her obnoxiously obtuse husband; and Samuel Dahl, as a young ex-con seeking to straighten out his mess of a life. Meanwhile, Shawn Parsons and Emily Elizabeth, playing a confused psychiatrist and his patient, are the mortar between the bricks that Lehane uses to construct his piece.

Although the first act ends with a dramatic punch to the solar plexus, Act 2 is riddled with false endings. Couple this with some of the worst lighting in recent memory, and this potentially hard-hitting production withers away, devoid of any true sense of completion. And if the cast is going to be called on for scene-change duty, it would behoove Shirley to assure that the company’s curtain call is clear and evident, not the mushy re-entrance this reviewer witnessed. Finally, given this company’s chilly warehouse venue and the unforgiving plastic folding chairs afforded the audience, one would do best to bring along a coat and seat cushion.

Presented by Player King Productions at the Holding Company, 3215 Beverly Blvd., L.A. March 5–27. Sun.–Tue., 8 p.m. (www.playerkingpro800) 838-3006, www.brownpapertickets.com, or www.playerkingproductions.com.