Wonderlust

Provocative thematic notions get Cody Henderson's new play off to an auspicious start. Unfortunately, the verbose script—a mix of scientific conjecture and melodramatic clichés—gradually loses its way. The narrative becomes cumbersome, and the character motivations seem fuzzy. We're left with admiration for a noble effort—a nice try but no cigar.

The focal character, high school biology teacher Andrew (Tristan James Butler), is recovering from a heart ailment and the trauma of losing his wife to another man. Are these two misfortunes related? It seems like an opportune time for Andrew to test an audacious theory brewing in his brain: a possible link between physical symptoms and romantic love. He convinces Sharon (Elia Saldaña), an emotionally detached but bright student, to put on a heart monitor and record her pulse fluctuations over time, so he can compare these scientific readings with Sharon's emotional highs and lows. After Sharon expands the experiment among other students, busybody teacher Ralph (Carl J. Johnson) fears that the sexual shenanigans of students in his classroom have resulted from the experiment. Furthermore, he insinuates that Andrew has made sexual advances to Sharon. When Sharon's uncle (Brad C. Light), a congressman, hears of these developments, he attempts to use Andrew's travails to advance his own agenda, so as to blur the line between accepted classroom curricula and religion.

The script's sci-fi conjecture, metaphysical ponderings, and David Mamet histrionics (as in "Oleanna") fail to mesh. Too much stage time is devoted to Ralph, whose lazy teaching methods and obnoxious demeanor have little to do with the main story or theme. Johnson is adept at playing this clod, but to what end? Light has fine moments as the conniving politician. Saldaña skillfully fleshes out the role of the strong-willed but reckless teenager. Butler is a likable actor with a convincing naturalness, but his character, as written, is too much of a wimp to earn our empathy. Ultimately, the relationship between Andrew and Sharon feels less than definitive, while the promise of thought-provoking ruminations on the mysteries of romance fizzles in a largely passionless two hours.

Presented by and at Theatre of NOTE, 1517 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. Aug. 26-Oct. 1. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m. (323) 856-8611 or www.Theatreofnote.com.