STAGE REVIEW : Things Fall Apart in Murray Mednick’s ‘Taxes’

Now that you’ve filed your tax returns, you might want a show that can help you unwind. Murray Mednick’s “Taxes,” at Theatre of NOTE, isn’t it.

No, it’s not a musical adaptation of Mednick’s 1040 form. Mednick is interested in a broader definition of taxes: the price we pay for living in a disintegrating society.

The play was first produced in 1976 in New York. Although set in San Dimas, it’s new to Los Angeles. If you believe the rate of decay in Los Angeles has caught up with what it was in New York in 1976, you might respond to “Taxes.”

Probably not with great enthusiasm, though. Despite moments of bitter humor and lyricism, Mednick’s play doesn’t take us very far beyond the simple proposition that things are falling apart.

Its central character is a young, self-described philosopher (Stewart Skelton) who observes the world from his front porch. He is periodically visited by a colleague (Hank Bunker) who has lost another body part in some new, horrible accident, every time he comes to call. The two of them re-enact the accidents in what amounts to a standing sick joke.

Meanwhile, the philosopher’s wife (Karen Hott) must deal with her almost-senile grandmother (Eileen Dietz), and the philosopher must shout to make his words heard by his choleric father-in-law (Jon Tolins).

The play’s best-written passages are observations on the passing parade of humanity in front of the house or in the park across the street. Some of the action that takes place on the porch itself is relatively baffling.

A few of the actors look too young, though Tolins and Skelton overcome this remarkably well. Director Diane Robinson uses the tiny stage resourcefully, but can’t quite surmount the production’s apparently impoverished budget.

“Taxes,” Theatre of NOTE, 1705 N. Kenmore Ave., Hollywood, Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Ends May 2. $10. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.