‘Bitter Women’ at Cast: Guilt-Free Voyeurism

Justin Tanner could be theater’s Richard Linklater. Like the creator of “Dazed and Confused,” Tanner casts an anthropologist’s cool eye on his generation. Both youthful writer-directors take an amoral stance toward bad behavior. Both affectionately portray rites of passage in a meandering style of nonchalant naturalism. Your attention span is never challenged: You’re free to check in, check out or even drop out. No dogma is allowed. The only sin is melodramatic excess.

This is particularly true in Tanner’s sixth play at the Cast Theatre, “Bitter Women.” His slice of Silver Lake apartment life makes you feel like a voyeur peeking through a vent while new neighbors move in. But it’s guilt-free voyeurism because nothing happens. The only shock is that we care.

New tenant Nancy (a poignant Adrienne Stout) is dazed and confused as she endures her baptism to the big city. Shy, naive and desperately seeking a Susan--any single white female roommate will do--she falls for the first man she meets, the building’s handyman (a nicely underplayed Brendan Broms). His furious rejection of her pathetic pursuit, plus his seduction of her worldly-wise roommate (an appropriately indulgent Laurel Green), threatens to plunge fragile Nancy into psychosis.

But Nancy’s vulnerability leads to her salvation. A lesbian odd couple (Thea Constantine and Sheri Galan, subtle and compelling) size her up, but after half-hearted manipulations become her guardian angels. The tough, eccentric landlady (an inspired Ellen Ratner) gradually is charmed by her innocence. And a potential best friend walks in the front door--a pizza delivery girl (Dana Schwartz, struggling heroically in the play’s weakest characterization).

There is nothing “bitter” about these women.

* “Bitter Women,” Cast Theatre, 804 N. El Centro Ave., Hollywood. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m., Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends Nov . 7. $15. (213) 462-0265. Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.

‘Northern’: Celestial Transformations

John Robert Hoffman is the Mad Hatter on Disney Channel’s “Adventures in Wonderland.” But on Monday and Tuesday nights at the Egyptian Arena Theatre, Hoffman wears several hats during his solo show “Northern Lights.” He magically becomes eight characters while evoking the small Vermont town of White River Junction. His portraits include an orphaned boy obsessed with astronomy, a sardonic New York telephone saleswoman, an eccentric cabaret singer and a Tomato Festival chairman.

Hoffman’s adventures in Vermont take us through the looking glass, transforming the ordinary into the celestial. Look beyond the mirror, implies this heartbreaker, and we might see in the stars a possibility of miracles. His sublimely tender story recalls Frank Capra’s populism and “Prairie Home Companion’s” gentle humanism.

Hoffman’s tale starts off languid and perplexing. But gradually, we’re captivated by his rapid-fire transformations. A bang on a bell, and he’s a desk clerk. A growl, and he’s the town’s one-armed taxi driver. A goofy grin, and he’s the kid with the cleft palate.

Most importantly, Hoffman becomes a trio of strangers brought together by a premature death. Lives that seemed lost and pointless are suddenly blessed by an uncomplicated last will. Grace and redemption are their inheritance.

The West Coast premiere of “Northern Lights” is beautifully supported by the world premiere of Catherine Butterfield’s “The Backflip.” This exquisite gem is an acrobatic debate between a patient (the gifted Robert Barry Fleming) and his psychiatrist (a nicely muted Monica Horan) about the nature of theater and personality.

* “Northern Lights” & “The Backflip,” Egyptian Arena Theatre, 1625 N. Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood. Mondays-Tuesdays, 8 p.m. Ends Nov . 9. $8-$10. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.

‘Come Good Rain’ Charms the Heart

No doubt George Bwanika Seremba has a compelling story to tell. His experiences in his native Uganda under monstrous dictators Idi Amin and Milton Obote offer dramatic testimony. His remarkable survival following torture and a firing squad’s bullet and grenade wounds provide vivid material for the page.

Alas, it’s the Pacific Resident Theatre Ensemble stage where Seremba elects to tell “Come Good Rain.” A James Earl Jones or Spalding Gray might hold us captive while delivering a monologue for more than two hours, but Seremba’s range is too limited. The human spirit proves indefatigable, as Seremba demonstrates, but the audience is defeated by fatigue.

Seremba’s personality is warm, ingratiating and generous. When he simply recites his story, without parenthetical excursions into African mythology or childhood fantasies, we’re momentarily spellbound. His charm ultimately wins our hearts if not our minds.

* “Come Good Rain,” Pacific Resident Theatre Ensemble, 8780 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles. Tuesdays-Sundays, 8 p.m. Ends Oct . 17. $15. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes.

A Reverent Revival of ‘Fuenteovejuna’

Lope de Vega was history’s most prolific playwright, composing between 400 and 500 verse-plays during Spain’s Golden Age. Despite this prodigious output, Shakespeare’s contemporary has never been produced as often as the Bard. For this reason alone, the Bilingual Foundation of the Art’s “Fuenteovejuna” is an invaluable opportunity to witness a rare revival of a Lope de Vega classic.

The title refers to a Spanish town that overthrew its sadistic lord in 1476. Director Margarita Galban’s large cast energetically portrays the peasants and despots. Estela Scarlata’s set maximizes the space into epic scale, while the period costumes by Corky Dominguez would distinguish a Hollywood swashbuckler. Mari Sandoval’s music and dance choreography is period perfect, and Robert Fromer’s lighting evokes memories of lush Spanish paintings.

But the reverent production is bludgeoned by a relentless series of tortures, rapes, beatings, executions and killings. “Fuenteovejuna” delivers more education than entertainment.

* “Fuenteovejuna,” Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, 421 N. Avenue 19, Los Angeles. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m., Sunday matinees, 3 p.m. Ends Dec . 5. $10-$15. (213) 225-4044. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.

‘am I paranoid?’ an

Informative Comedy

Deaf West Theatre Company’s new home (the former Heliotrope Theater) opens with the gracious, informative comedy “am I paranoid?” written and directed by William Moses. The title refers to a deaf person’s social alienation, humorously performed by actor Bob Daniels.

A boy making his first airplane flight assumes the stewardess is signaling during the pre-flight emergency demonstration. Deaf psychoanalysis requires a delicate inner ear. A dictionary is required at all times. Always walk away from the sun--then you see shadows of those coming after you.

Daniels resembles a deaf Woody Allen as he performs in American Sign Language (simultaneous voice translation is available). “am I paranoid?” proves that deaf playwrights and performers can possess an excellent ear for dialogue.

* “am I paranoid?,” Deaf West Theatre, 660 N. Heliotrope Drive, Hollywood. Thursdays-Sundays, 8 p.m., Saturday-Sunday matinees, 3 p.m. Ends Nov . 7. $15. (213) 660-0877 (voice), (213) 660-8826 (TTY). Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.