THEATER REVIEW : ‘Washington Square Moves’ a Provocative Gambit

“Get in that cell!”

The command echoes out of the darkness. A cell door slams. Abandon all hope, Al.

But the man’s soul on ice refuses to melt.

As the lights rise on “Washington Square Moves,” so does hope. Ex-con Al learned how to hustle in prison, and he also learned “the grand old game of African kings”--chess. It’s his passion, his art, his business. Other parolees deal drugs in the park. Al deals the Scotch opening and the Queen’s gambit, a mastery crowning him “The King of Washington Square.”

However, this black Bobby Fischer sleeps on floors and benches.

His provocative portrait sets the Mojo Ensemble stage for an ambitious examination of race, class and character. Like August Wilson’s “Fences,” Matthew Witten’s “Washington Square Moves” focuses on a gifted, dynamic individual whose talent can’t be fully realized. Frustration breeds self-hatred, but never self-pity. Witten asks, “Where does ghetto conditioning end and personal responsibility begin?”

Unfortunately, Witten occasionally duplicates Wilson’s playwriting flaws--ponderous exposition, verbosity, unnecessary characters and a meandering plot stagebound by single-set naturalism. Fortunately, the play’s flaws are overcome by Billy Hayes’ energetic direction of a gifted cast.

Hayes, who vividly captured the hell of prison in his autobiographical “Midnight Express,” understands the erratic behavior of ex-cons. Under his guidance, Al’s emotional schizophrenia makes perfect sense, especially when portrayed with tragic force by Robert Gossett. When Al dares to hope that a record-breaking eight-day chess marathon might finally gain him recognition, Gossett’s triumphant “I am somebody!” becomes an unforgettable cry.

As Al’s dimwit “prince,” Randy Vasquez’s fumbling attempts to “go legit” are both hilarious and heartbreaking. Gary Best sometimes goes overboard playing a Vietnam vet addicted to board games, but his lapses are minor in an otherwise poignant role. Leslie A. Jones is believable as Al’s ex-cellmate, who hustles Madison Avenue advertising agencies only to discover that the P.R. jungle “is worse than the damn joint.” The cast is so balanced that even Stephanie Grodell’s wordless bag lady is eloquent.

Elayn Taylor portrays a National Public Radio reporter “tired of covering tragedies all the time.” She transforms a potentially cardboard character into a complex individual capable of confronting Al. “Everybody has bad luck,” she says. “It’s how you deal with it.”

Al deals with it by embracing his art. If society refuses to let him move up, he can still move across a board. There, he holds kings and queens in his fists.

* “Washington Square Moves,” Mojo Ensemble, 1540 N. Cahuenga, Hollywood . Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m., Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends June 27. $15. (213) 960-1604. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes.