Theater Review : ‘Finger Painting’: A Brush With Sitcom Love

A character with the bothersome comic name of Ludlow Smuldanski (Jase Draper) has his PJs caught on the bed springs in the first few minutes of David Paterson’s “Finger Painting in a Murphy Bed,” at Grove Theater Center’s Gem Theatre.

Soon we see that Ludlow is “slow,” like Forrest Gump. Unlike Forrest, though, Ludlow has a nasty streak, and under no circumstances will he allow his sister Myra (Anette Sanders) to leave his side by falling in love. She’s his--until her date for the evening, Reginald (Briant Wells), begins to show some interest.

That’s all of the conflict here. The play feels slight and glib in a sitcom tradition. You keep expecting it to gain weight, but it’s about nothing more than two people struggling to experience a quality date. It’s a thin one-act straining to become a full-length work.

Ludlow is supposedly the central character, but he never changes. Instead it is Myra and Reg we root for; they are the ones who build from start to finish. Ludlow is a vehicle--in this case, an updated version of Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Which really makes no sense. Puck screws up, like Ludlow, but he also makes things happen and makes magic. Ludlow’s simple agenda is the status quo: Myra taking care of him, him doing his finger paintings and no other men allowed. That, and showing off his talent for quoting Shakespeare.

Ludlow is the worst kind of literary conceit--a theatrical name-dropper without portfolio. His personal tragedies, including lost parents, are never directly felt--only indirectly, through Myra. His obnoxious antics are only as cute as Draper makes them.

Ludlow’s pathos is nothing compared to Myra’s, as she struggles against her intense self-dislike, expressed by her sniping at Reg at every opportunity. But if this is a myth, Reg is a prince, and eventually Myra will see the light.

The point is that Myra and Reg, and the play, make Ludlow superfluous. She sees she’s worth pursuing because Reg pursues her. The play is about the proverbial chase, not about how to cope with a mentally disturbed brother.

Paterson at least has some very good actors. Director Kevin Cochran worked long enough with this play and cast that his hand is invisible; Sanders, Draper and Wells visibly humanize the writing.

* “Finger Painting in a Murphy Bed,” Gem Theatre, 12852 Main St., Garden Grove. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends April 9. $18.50-$24.50. (714) 741-9550. Running time: 2 hours.