Review in LA Weekly by Neal Weaver on July 6, 2003.
Producer-director Leon Shanglebee insists, in a program note, that this Eric Bogosian piece is a play, not just “a monologue show.” It’s true that Bogosian provides a tenuous thematic unity, but his play does consist of 10 monodramas, performed here by nine actors. We’re introduced to a wide variety of characters, many of them addled with booze, dope or both. Act 1 features a guy (Milo Bianchi) experimenting with LSD, a hyped-up Hollywood agent (Patrick Hume), a well-oiled ceramic-tile salesman (Doug Sept), a military instructor of torture techniques (Ryan Honey) and an irascible Japanese restaurant owner (Mocean Melvin). Act 2 presents us with a fecklessly destructive druggie (Christian Levatino), an affectless suburban husband (Brian Scott Clark), a bitterly resigned junkie (Mancini Graves), a scary fundamentalist preacher (Levatino), and a manic DJ/concert MC (Phil Capone). They present a funny but scary view of America — but is Bogosian actively glorifying substance abuse? Shanglebee has assembled an impressive crew of actors (Sept and Levatino are standouts), and directs them with unobtrusive authority. The soundtrack by Michael Flowers, meant to provide historical context, is often inaudible. One caveat: The space is small, hot, overcrowded, underventilated and, on the night I attended, every aisle was blocked. The management provides free beer and soda as compensation. Gangbusters Theater Company at the Next Stage, 1523 N. La Brea Ave., Hlywd.; Thurs., 8:30 p.m.; thru July 17. (213) 864-9365.