L.A. Review: 'First Love/Worst Love'

The title of Rebecca Cox's "First Love/Worst Love" hints at tremendous potential. With such parameters as one's "first love" and "worst love," an original play could go in just about any direction. Perhaps that anything-goes mentality is what caused Cox, and the Julie Civiello–directed production of her play, to stumble. In fact, to label it a play is to overstate the case: A quintet of actors—three girls, two guys—clad in black recite shards of love poetry, backed by Kyle Fredrickson's evocative, expert electronic music, performed onstage. The staging is heavily movement-oriented, as performers adopt various poses and stances resembling tai chi or yoga. Despite the potential of a subject such as love to express and communicate emotions of profound depth, what is generated during the half-hour performance is mind-bogglingly wispy, insubstantial, and, in a word, underwhelming.

Some of the text carries a lightly funny and mildly ironic confessional tone, but without our being let in on the joke, it's hard to appreciate the content. And despite that all five performers are onstage most of the time, there is no back-and-forth dialogue and practically no interaction. The engaging, uniformly fine cast members—boisterous Seth Burnham; dignified, soft-spoken Len Davies; regal, elated Maggie Lehman; saucy Anna Moon; and elegant Hayley J. Williams—cannot be faulted. They're at the mercy of material that is obstinately, almost deliberately, opaque. If the point is that we're not meant to understand love, well...that would be a cop-out.

Presented by MinuteLoveStories Productions as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival at Fringe Central Mainstage, 6209 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. June 16–23. Remaining performances: Wed., June 20, 5:30 p.m.; Sat., June 23, 2:30 p.m. (323) 455-4585 or www.hollywoodfringe.org