at the Flight Theatre at
the Complex
It's a slight surprise that a world premiere by successful playwright-screenwriter Roger Hedden (Bodies, Rest & Motion) would appear for a brief run with little publicity at the tiny Flight Theatre, with a cast of mostly nonunion actors. That means not many people are going to be able to say they saw the first production of this thoughtful, funny relationship comedy, which, with some rewrites, could become a big winner. Even with the few script flaws, the engaging ensemble, under Bobby Gutierrez's intelligent, measured direction, delivers plenty of laughs, as well as a few pleasant surprises.
Hedden's focal point is Peter (Andy Greenfield), the head of tours at the United Nations, who has chosen an innocuous life. But things change abruptly when his usually agitated friend Charlie (Aaron Roos) drags him to a bachelor party for Andrew (Rick Prigge), a ruthless political consultant. Rachel (Kendra Mylnechuk), the wild and unpredictable bride-to-be, crashes the party disguised as a stripper and winds up falling for Peter.
The key to Hedden's success is Peter, a role which Greenfield handles expertly. Peter tries to bury his feelings of dissatisfaction and anger, which burst through in fits of passion and rage. Greenfield deftly balances the fluctuations in emotions, creating a character that is wholly believable and always engaging. The other standout is Roos, who provides the evening's funniest moments. His charisma keeps the obnoxious Charlie from being too unpleasant, and he even makes the character somewhat sympathetic.
Gutierrez keeps the action from feeling cluttered, despite the small stage space. His direction is tight, and the characters remain real. Gutierrez adds a nice touch by balancing a purposely boring tour guide speech on one side of the stage while Mylnechuk and Greenfield, in only partial darkness, strip naked for the next scene.
The climactic scene runs a bit long, and a couple of scenes in the first act are too predictable. But Hedden is a capable writer and will likely make changes before As Sure as You Live plays a larger house for a longer run. As it stands, this certainly is a fine debut.
Presented by Montana Mafia at the Flight Theatre at the Complex, 6476 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Thu.-Sun. 8 p.m. Feb. 1-11. (323) 383-7177.
Reviewed by Jeff Favre