You Can Call Me Eve

The present reviews the past in Michael Coulombe's drama about the changes wrought, over the decades, in a young Latina's life. As such, this world-premiere play, expanded from Coulombe's 2007 radio one-act, has promise, though it would benefit from serious re-evaluation.

We first meet Eve (Marina Gonzalez Palmier) in her Los Angeles bedroom, whence she narrates her story. Eve's younger self, Rosa (Natalie Camunas), is a headstrong woman determined to marry macho Carlos (Alex Rodrigo), despite warnings by Maria (Misha Gonz-Cirkl), her elder sister. After Maria's premature demise, Rosa and Carlos take in sensitive Danny (Henry Alberto), Maria's 14-year-old son, and Rosa's maternal instincts, in check since her miscarriage, bloom toward her nephew.

Although Carlos and adolescent Danny bond over soccer, things fall apart when 20-year-old Danny comes out of the closet. Rosa wavers between her religious background and affection, but Carlos throws Danny out, and Danny lands at the YMCA, where he meets similarly rejected Eric (Peter DiVito), who becomes his lover. As Rosa and Carlos' union grows strained, she gravitates to the happy home Danny and Eric create, until the advent of AIDS.

Director Hector Rodriguez has good staging notions, such as bringing departed characters into bas-relief against the survivors. What his cast lacks in technique, it makes up for in sincerity. Palmier has an easy conversational delivery as Eve, being especially adept at wry one-liners. If Camunas' chipper Rosa and Gonz-Cirkl's soulful Maria sometimes seem to be fighting lines, both display direct emotional access. Alberto, despite a narrow vocal dynamic, plays beautifully opposite DiVito's endearing partner. Rodrigo is game, although his innate warmth doesn't exactly make for a convincing bully. Mike McAleer and Carlos Joseph play multiple supporting roles with basic competence.

Coulombe's skill is evident in the dialogue scenes between the two sisters, the husband and wife, and the gay lovers. Where he succumbs to first-play liabilities is in the narration by Eve, which overexplicates things better shown through the action, and in the overly episodic structure, some scenes barely vignettes. Yet that's what rewrites are for. It should be interesting to see where "Eve" goes next.

Presented by and at Write Act Repertory Theatre, 6128 Yucca St., Hollywood. Dec. 2-18. Thu.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m. (323) 469-3113. www.brownpapertickets.com.