Oswald

Few historical events of the 20th century evoke as many vivid anecdotes from people as recollections of where one was or what one was doing on that dismal afternoon, Nov. 22, 1963, when news flashes reported that U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by a sniper in Dallas. Two women approached me during the intermission of "Oswald," Dennis Richard's thought-provoking docudrama portraying the prolonged interrogation of JFK's accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. One asked if I recalled where I was at that moment. (I do.) Her companion exclaimed with enthusiasm, "This is real history!"

Yet Richards' script can scarcely be described as factually fastidious, because no recordings or transcripts were made during the 12-hour attempt of police captain Will Fritz (P. David Miller) to wring a confession out of Oswald (Andrew Perez), the belligerent young book depository clerk suspected of having Communist ties. According to Richard's program notes, he has incorporated "quotes from actual newscasts" and dialogue that was "said and believed to have been said by Oswald."

Was Oswald a hatchet man carrying out the aims of political conspirators or a nut case acting on his own? Was he indeed the guilty party? Oswald's gunshot murder at the hands of Jack Ruby—occurring right before our eyes on a live TV broadcast—robbed us of a definitive answer. The play doesn't attempt to provide a solution to the case, instead presenting intriguing details that allow audience members to form their own conclusions.

Richmond Shepard, who directed the show's New York premiere in June 2011, helms this staging, which features an almost entirely different cast. Perez does a gangbusters job of conveying Oswald's mysterious and wiry demeanor. In this portrayal, it's easy to imagine the creepy and edgy Oswald as a killer. At the same time, the man's unflinching insistence of innocence sometimes sounds convincing. Perez's interpretation enhances the fascination with a still enigmatic case. In a role with fewer dimensions—primarily consisting of dogged determination—Miller does fine work, sharing a heated interplay with Perez that rings true. Ensemble members Dan Burkarth, A.J. Jones, David Lee Garver, William Kidd, Ryan John McGivern, and Bert Pigg lend efficient support.

For those of us who witnessed the unfolding of the remarkable real-life drama in television newscasts, this production elicits a feeling of déjà vu. For others, it offers an instructive glimpse at a landmark moment in a bygone era, when innocence began to fade away, preceding Vietnam, Watergate, and other calamities.

Presented by Write Act Repertory Theatre Producing Artistic Director John Lant, in association with John P. Greene and Alex Rodrigo, at Write Act Repertory Theatre, 6128 Yucca St., Hollywood. Jan. 13–Feb. 18. Thu.–Sat., 8 p.m. (Additional performances Sun., Jan. 29 and Feb. 5, 4 p.m.) (323) 469-3113 or www.brownpapertickets.com.