The works of the late Thomas Babe, who died in 2000, remain ripe for sharply divided opinions based on individual philosophies about theater. This 1978 New York police squad room drama, his best-known work, remains a collection of hard-edged monologues delivered by loosely sketched characters, wrapped in a clichéd plot. It's an actors' playground, and this four-person cast and director Albert Alarr make the most of the chances for excessive emotional outbursts and physicality—even if their heavy lifting doesn't translate to entertainment.
The play opens as the second act of a police procedural. Detectives Kelly and Delasante (Kevin Brief and Matthew J. Williamson) bring in handcuffed Jimmy (Matthew Thompson) and Simon (Gary Lamb) on suspicion of killing an elderly woman over $26.15. Sure that one of the men did it, the detectives separate them for a bit of questioning and beating to gain a confession.
The characters are little more than a few personality traits. But each actor resonates somewhat believably. Brief is seething with rage as Kelly, an alcoholic who drinks on the job and whose daughter has called the police station threatening to kill herself. Brief's overwhelming weariness informs Kelly as a man who has given up on life. Williamson comes across as barely sane as Delasante, a drug addict who has been married three times. Lamb's performance as the mysterious Simon is the most intriguing. His bravado mixed with sorrow makes Simon sympathetic and a bit scary. And Thompson handles the difficult task of portraying the drugged-out Jimmy, who is lost without Simon's guidance.
Alarr uses Sarah Krainin's entire set—a rundown police room with a pair of desks as its centerpiece—allowing for several moments of explosive action. But Babe's script still contains feelings without sufficient motivation, and a story line that lacks suspense, cohesion, and originality.
Presented by and at Crown City Theatre, 11031 Camarillo St., North Hollywood. Feb. 5–March 6. Thu.–Sat., 8 p.m. (818) 605-5685. www.crowncitytheatre.com. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/94132.