In its West Coast premiere, this drama, developed by Chicago's Steppenwolf company, is a knockout effort from fast-rising playwright Brett Neveu (Eric LaRue). His work — though recalling elements of Sam Shepard, Tracy Letts, and Larry McMurtry — is blessed with its own distinctive style. Director Dado's brilliantly acted production crackles with dramatic electricity.
In a staid community in the Midwest, the lives of deputy sheriff Grace Tisdale (Deborah Puette) and a stock clerk (Matthew Scott Montgomery) were lost during a grocery store holdup. A few years after the tragedy, Grace's brother Lewie (Mark St. Amant) is unable to let go and move on, drowning his grief in alcohol and spending time in vacated local buildings, where he feels the presences of his sister and the young boy. As Doug (David Paluck), Grace's widower, prepares to move away with his new wife, Lisa (Ann Noble), Lewie struggles with the impending loss of the final link with his dead sibling. Another wrinkle is added to Lewie's emotional turmoil when a former resident (Darin Singleton) with a secret makes a return visit.
St. Amant's alternately comic and poignant take on the childlike Lewie is mesmerizing. The actor inhabits this difficult role with an unflinching mastery of vocal and physical characteristics that evoke the despair behind Lewie's fumbling attempts to pretend everything is all right. Particularly effective are his scenes with the superb Paluck, in which the characters' pregnant pauses and halting communication speak volumes. Noble excels as the new spouse struggling to cope with the tension in the air, and Puette is heartbreaking as the spiritlike entity who relives happier times with her brother. Singleton hits all the correct notes in his multishaded role. Paul Dillon and Bradley Fisher add welcome comic relief as a bossy sheriff and busybody barkeeper, respectively. Montgomery rounds out the exemplary ensemble effort.
Scenic designer Ian Garrett, lighting designer Leigh Allen, and costume designer Stephanie Kerley-Schwartz superbly capture the play's intoxicating mix of naturalistic and surrealistic moods. This marvelous production is a feather in the cap for Rogue Machine, one of the city's newest producing companies.
Presented by Rogue Machine at Theatre/Theater, 5041 Pico Blvd., L.A. Thu.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. Jul. 26-Aug. 24. (323) 960-7726. www.roguemachinetheatre.com.