FAMILY : ‘Sohzo’: An Uneven Sampler Falls Short

“Sohzo,” Tim Arem’s wordless solo family show at Two Roads Theatre in Studio City, is a good idea that falls short in the execution--an uneven sampler of Asian-flavored mime, movement, shadow puppets, juggling, masks and audience participation.

The uneasy tone is set with Arem’s tentative entrance. Wearing a kimono, he balances on high stilts, gingerly walking about the small stage before blowing up bolster-shaped plastic balloons and tossing them back and forth with the audience a few times.

Arem then retreats behind one of the Japanese screens that sit on either side of the stage, the lights go down, and for several noisy moments, he divests himself of the stilts. He then emerges encased in a stretchy sack, Mummenschanz-style, but undermines the promise of this innovation by making karate moves inside the fabric, a pedestrian effect that detracts from the interest of the few other-worldly shapes he creates.

Other segments with promise but not fully realized: a shadow puppet’s short climb up a screen, a too-brief dance with an oversize Japanese mask and an encounter with a stick puppet--a woman’s face--the intended poignancy of which is weakened by Arem’s evident self-consciousness.

Taped music that often stops abruptly, and dead time between acts are other distractions.

Where the show does come alive, earning big laughs, is when Arem is at his most comfortable: during well-timed comic mime bits with adult audience volunteers. For the most part, however, this hour plays like a not-ready-for-prime-time work-in-progress.

* “Sohzo,” Two Roads Theatre, 4348 Tujunga Blvd., Studio City, Saturdays, 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m.; Sundays, noon and 2:30 p.m., except March 26, noon only. Beginning April 1: Saturdays only, 2 and 4 p.m. through May 13. $9-$11; (818) 763-4226. Running time: 1 hour.

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Young Playwrights, Take Note: The Blank Theatre Company Young Playwrights Festival has returned for a third year. It isn’t kid stuff: Past winners have tackled such serious issues as gays in the military, date rape, AIDS and mid-life crisis. Winning playwrights will work with mentors--professional playwrights, dramaturges or script development people--to ready their plays for performance and will be involved in the rehearsal process.

Winning plays will receive fully staged workshop productions performed by theater professionals.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for not only the young playwrights but also for those of us fortunate enough to work on their plays,” said Daniel Henning, Blank Theatre Company’s artistic director/producer.

“We offer this festival each year to foster and develop young playwrights. Not screenwriters, not novelists . . . playwrights. Which is the only way we’ll be around in the future--if no one’s writing plays, there won’t be any theater.”

Playwrights must be 19 years old or younger on April 18, 1995. Original plays may be any length, on any subject. All entries must be legible and include a cover sheet with playwright’s name, date of birth, school (if any), home address, home phone number and the play’s title. Don’t send originals; plays will not be returned.

Scripts must be postmarked no later than April 18 and should be mailed to the Blank Theatre Company, Young Playwrights Festival, 1301 Lucile Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90026.