A Full-Bodied and Vibrant Metaphor for ‘Marlene’

In today’s bare-all society, in which, generally speaking, there are slasher movies, crasser singers and books that are less than zero, the qualities of charm and restrained elegance have fallen into sad disuse.

In “Rendez-vous With Marlene” at the Melrose, celebrated Norwegian chanteuse Torill goes a long way toward correcting the imbalance. Torill’s one-woman show about the life of Marlene Dietrich is not an impersonation, nor is it an homage. It is a fully fleshed, vibrant portrayal that captures the essence of a great star, with all her wit, grit, haughtiness and naughtiness presented intact.

Fresh out of heaven, where she has already made quite a conquest of St. Peter, Marlene launches into song, dishes the dirt, relates some of the gamier anecdotes from her past--and shares a few personal heartaches as well.

In the first act, Torill makes a spectacular entrance in a fabulous knock-off of Marlene’s famous signature garment. The flesh-colored bodice cascades into artfully filigreed breasts, giving the illusion of gilded nudity. For Marlene, illusion was all. The gown could well be a metaphor for Marlene herself, apparently bared to the public but actually carefully covered at all times.

With her second-act entrance in tie, tails and top hat, Marlene makes it clear that her tastes have changed--from champagne to Scotch, from cigarettes to cigars, from men to women. Half-mocking, half-sensual, Marlene flirts wickedly with both sexes in the audience. After all, she’s dead now and doesn’t have to worry about appearances.

Torill’s humorously deadpan accompanist and musical director Stan Freeman, who was Dietrich’s musical director for 12 years, is the perfect foil for Marlene’s temperamental outbursts. Director Jules Aaron paces the proceedings perfectly, while Bradley Kaye’s sumptuous set and Lawrence Oberman’s superb lighting would satisfy the most demanding diva.

* “Rendez-vous With Marlene,” Melrose Theatre, 733 N. Seward, Los Angeles.

Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends Aug . 31. $20. (213) 466-1767. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.

Enjoying the Humor of ‘Summerfolk’

Although a cut above the flophouse denizens of “The Lower Depths,” the characters in Maxim Gorky’s “Summerfolk,” at the Ivy Substation, are fashioned from the same bolt of cloth. Far more educated and affluent than their proletarian predecessors, these are still “the people,” the children of chefs, laborers and washerwomen. However, in the soft glow of a summer twilight, you just might mistake them for the aristocracy.

When first produced in 1904, Gorky’s transparently pro-Bolshevist work created a furious controversy. Nowadays, the play can be appreciated as a period comedy of manners, flowing over with humor, passion and Russian volatility.

The play’s characters can be separated roughly into two categories: the complacent, who mindlessly pursue pleasure; and the self-righteous, who endlessly discuss their disenchantment and ennui. At play’s end, exhausted from spinning in a welter of “dead words,” the self-righteous sect takes decisive action, breaking away from the complacent core group and rushing off to create a new life--and, one presumes, a revolution.

Direction is key to this lengthy masterpiece, and E. Teresa Choate manages to keep the pacing crisp within the generally languid rhythms of the play. The acting ensemble is consistently very impressive indeed. Michelle Robinson’s painstaking period costumes and Kenton Jones’ attractive set round off this talented young company’s production of a neglected classic.

* “Summerfolk,” Ivy Substation, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Ends Sept . 3. $17. (310) 558-1555. Running time: 2 hours, 55 minutes.

Boyish Comedy Gets ‘Grounded’ by Plot

“Grounded for Life” at the Tamarind is the theatrical equivalent of “The Flintstones”--and, adults in the audience notwithstanding, seemingly geared to just about the same age group. For the first half hour, you giggle at the show’s silly props and sheer zaniness. Then, your eyes glaze over, your jaw goes slack and you begin sneaking surreptitious glances at your wristwatch.

Pat Holdman (Pat Hazell) was grounded for life 18 years ago for throwing a snowball at a school bus. Now 29 years old, Pat has not been out of his room since--but Kaspar Hauser he’s not. In fact, he’s managed to keep abreast of things very well, thank you, largely because of a secret tunnel hidden under his toy chest that his friends use to sneak in and out of his room. Pat even has a girlfriend, although she’s getting a little tired of waiting for Pat to re-enter the outside world.

Comedian Hazell, who co-wrote the show with Bill Habeeb, is a breezy, boyish entertainer whose comic invention gets crushed by the rusty machinery of his dreadfully contrived plot. Director Shawn Nelson keeps the action cranking along as best he can. Keven Lock’s frozen-in-time set, complete with ant farms and Farrah Fawcett posters, is ultimately more entertaining than the show itself. Gregg Binkley, as Pat’s nerdy pal Ernie, consistently outshines his material.

More suited for a comedy sketch than a two-act play, “Grounded for Life” should be sent to its room.

* “Grounded for Life,” Tamarind Theatre, 5919 Franklin Ave., Hollywood. Mondays-Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Ends Aug . 17. $12. (213) 466-1767. Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes.

‘Lesbian Sea Gulls’ Fails to Take Flight

Another example of stretching an interesting premise to the breaking point is “Lesbian Sea Gulls,” a collection of one-acts at the Celebration Theatre inspired by purportedly “lesbian” mating practices among sea gulls on the Channel Islands. Local playwrights were approached by the Celebration’s artistic director, Robert Schrock, to give their own take on this natural phenomenon. These six one-acts are the result.

Perhaps, given a more elliptical approach, these plays could have proven a provocative examination of biological sexual imperatives. Unfortunately, some of the writers selected have taken their quirky assignment far too literally.

The evening’s comedies are cases in point. Frequently repetitive, these attempted farces feature cawing, flapping actors in campy bird attire, a dubious comic device that is rendered egregious by Catherine Coke’s stilted staging. The cast mugs, cavorts, caws shriekingly and assumes bizarre dialects at the drop of a feather. Among the performers, Lily Mariye and Susan Mosher manage some intermittently fine work.

The relationship dramas, blessedly devoid of antic avians, fare somewhat better. However, only Pamela Gray’s “Supernormal Clutches,” the evening’s comic closer, is a genuinely amusing and sustained effort that transcends its gooney bird analogies.

Let’s face it: You can get just so much drama out of gay gulls. By relentlessly bludgeoning home its premise, this production makes the association between sea gulls and garbage unavoidable.

* “Lesbian Sea Gulls,” 7051 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Thursdays-Sundays, 8 p.m. Ends Sept . 3. $15-$20. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.