STAGE REVIEW : Weak Premise Makes for a Lifeless ‘Suicide’
Good acting, weak premise sum up the bleak “Suicide, Inc.” at Al’s Bar. Playwright Mark Borkowski enjoys strong presence as a suicide-bent urban loser who enlists the services of an organization that, for a fee, helps push nervous people into the great abyss. The company requires a 24-hour cooling-off period; during that time, the grungy young man and a schizophrenic young woman thrash out their destinies.
The woman is portrayed with visceral if repetitive anguish by Cynthia Savage. Director Randy Cherkas works around the unworkable plot with vivid performances, including those from the chilly corporate honchos, played with metallic sheen by Robert Consoli and the leggy Marie Hughes. But the play is arch and overwrought.
“Suicide, Inc.,” Al’s Bar, 712 Traction Ave., downtown L.A., Tuesdays-Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Ends April 17. $8. (213) 288-7927. Running time: 1 hour.
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