STAGE REVIEW : ‘Voices’: The Pain Has Yet to Show On Stage

Scott Douglas Do Vale has latched onto some real experiences with his one-man work, “Voices in the Dark,” at the igLoo Theatre in Hollywood. Now, he has to inject it with some real writing.

As it is now, “Voices” is strictly workshop stuff, full of the sound of a young writer-actor finding his way. Do Vale shows how one brother endures the suicide of another--the avoidances, the philosophical doodlings, the attempts at truth--and how forgiveness is wrought. But director Robin McKee fails to push Do Vale the actor past a pencil sketch approach to character, and Do Vale the writer resorts to a line of trite aphorisms (if only, he laments, we had a remote control for life, so we could rewind, forward or pause). Pain obviously inspired the play; it has yet to show on stage.

* “Voices in the Dark,” igLoo Theatre, 6543 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, Thursdays, 8 p.m. Ends May 16. $12; (213) 466-1767. Running time: 1 hour.