STAGE REVIEWS : Grace Zabriskie Dispenses Sophisticated Poems and Songs

As a title, “Mondays at Stages” hardly suggests what’s going on these Mondays at Stages Trilingual Theatre. “An Evening With Grace and Friends” might be better. “Grace Under Pressure” might be more accurate. “Amazing Grace” might be more show-bizzy.

“Grace” is actress--and now, poet--Grace Zabriskie, and she leads the way in an evening of personal and political verse, interspersed with some songs. She is joined by actor-poet Steve Alden and musically backed by vocalist Mary Ramos and guitarist Paul Skemp of the group, Elvis Has Left the Building.

But it’s Zabriskie’s show. Her cat-like presence is uncannily matched by her fluid, sneaky, sophisticated poems, which range from dark-tinged memoirs to lampoons of Hollywood to intimate self-reflections. She knows all of the poetic tricks--alliteration, rhythmic build, repetitions, circular structure--without ever indulging in technique for its own sake. And since she’s an actress of the first order, she finds emotions that would escape most poets reading in public.

Director Paul Verdier works, in fact, to find some drama within Zabriskie’s verse tales and between Zabriskie and Alden. The couple touches off some sexual sparks in a series of poems alluding to a rocky relationship, but Alden’s own poetry is hackneyed and literal next to Zabriskie’s mature voice, and his tunes are mired in early ‘70s folk-rock.

Though the two voices don’t blend at all, Verdier’s pacing and the masterful lighting designer Ken Booth stitch together incompatible elements, and theatricalize them. They appear inspired by the drama of space: Verdier positions the performers for maximum effect, and Booth isolates them in simple, precise pools of light that also appear inspired by the poetry of Grace Zabriskie.

At 1540 N. McCadden Place, Mondays at 8 p.m., through May 28. $8; (213) 465-1010.