FRINGE FESTIVAL : STAGE REVIEWS : TWO VIEWS OF MISGUIDED ROMANCE

Director-playwright Joel Lipman has either endured the hell of a tortured relationship or he’s a good observer. His play, “The Iris Circle,” is the rough, taut opening one-act of “Two Tales,” a double bill at the Zephyr Theater.

The second tale, “In Transit,” also deals with misguided love, set in a “timeless” bus station, but its misfortune is to follow the compelling curtain-raiser.

“The Iris Circle” is your basic sick, possessive, insecure romance. You share a tacky Hollywood apartment. Your lover gets a call that sounds suspicious. It drives you crazy. Your lover then goes out. You’re ready to kill. Finally, you almost do kill.

The production is earmarked by dark humor and crisp pacing. Actors Jon Lindstrom and Marlon McGann credibly exchange jealous fits. But Lindstrom’s character is written with much more sympathy, and he’s a stronger performer. McGann, however, enjoys a metallic, trampy luster that does work if you can imagine Lucretia Borgia auditioning for modeling jobs.

“In Transit” is best with its secondary characters, not its leads. Michael Neimand is distinctively chiseled as a small-time hustler (you can see this actor going places). And David Chrisman delivers a winning portrait of dim-headed loyalty. Otherwise, the lover’s arrow between a suburban librarian (Sharon Porter) and a Damon Runyon-esque songwriter (Anthony Finetti) is off target.

Performances at 7456 Melrose Ave., Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m., extended through Oct. 7. Tickets: $8; (213) 466-1767.