THEATER REVIEW : Strong Performances and Writing Elevate ‘Act One ‘95’

Theater lovers may sometimes look down their noses at television, but the first installment of “Act One ‘95,” the Met Theatre series funded by several TV production companies, should make that stage snobbery fade like so many summer reruns.

It’s true that this one-act festival, now in its second year, has been made with more in mind than just the thrill of hearing live applause. The sponsors--led by Showtime Networks Inc.--clearly hope that at least a couple of the 16 playlets might be adapted for the small screen. For now, however, the six one-acts comprising Evening A of “Act One” make for a lively theatrical evening, staged with impressive craft and full of great performances.

Evening A reaches an emotional climax with “Affections of an Alleycat,” Wil Calhoun’s raw, beautifully crafted look at the promise--and failure--of love. Slatternly, tough-as-nails Denise (Susan Barnes) and her sweet but naive trucker friend Eddie (Arliss Howard) make an unlikely romantic couple. Her idea of foreplay is ripping open a condom package with her teeth.

Yet Calhoun spins a parable of complicated emotional intimacy out of these lovers’ clumsy erotic maneuvers. Barnes, who was unforgettable in “Rosemary With Ginger” from last year’s series, is just as funny and heartbreaking this time around, and the soulful Howard makes a perfect foil. Risa Bramon Garcia, who co-produced the series with Jerry Levine, directed with ruthless compassion.

The show closes on a light-hearted note with “The Juiceman Cometh,” Peter Spiro’s sparklingly clever satire of vegetarianism by way of O’Neill’s “The Iceman Cometh.” Sherman Howard is hilarious as a vegetarian guru who stuns his comrades at a juice bar (Jay Patterson, Rick Zieff, Sandy Martin) by announcing he has surrendered to cravings for barbecued ribs and hamburgers. James Eckhouse directed.

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Kenneth Lonergan’s intriguing “Betrayed by Everyone,” directed by Frank Pugliese, offers a game of cat-and-mouse between two teen-agers. Mark Ruffalo delivers a wry performance as Warren, an itchy, endearingly off-center kid who collects toy cars and antique baseball caps. Ria Pavia Adler is the flirtatious and pompous girl who manipulates him into giving up one of the collectibles as a token of affection. A more succinct illustration of power dynamics in a romantic relationship would be hard to write.

Keith Reddin’s “You Belong to Me,” directed by W.H. Macy, is a clever idea in search of a better ending. A married couple (Kathryn Layng, Tim Carhart) and a friend (Lucinda Jenney) fantasize different ways of murdering one another, their subconscious scenarios acted out to a jazzy bass line provided by a lone musician (Latif). While the punch line falls flat, Reddin maintains an interesting structure and writes superb dialogue.

The most unusual entry is Stuart Spencer’s “Water and Wine,” a rather sober-minded meditation on art and artists that features Elias Koteas as the 16th-Century Italian artist Michelangelo. In Spencer’s tale, the great sculptor visits a winemaking peasant (Tom Bower) and his son (Adam Scott) to authenticate a piece of statuary (apparently “The Laocoon”). Harris Yulin coaxes fine performances from all, though the long speeches concerning the nature of art grow a bit tiresome.

Perhaps the weakest of the bunch is the opener, Pugliese’s “The Talk,” a rapid-fire discussion among four brothers (Bruce MacVittie, David Eigenberg, Titus Welliver and Saverio Guerra) shortly after their mother’s mysterious suicide. Pugliese may have written a good script, but Fisher Stevens directs the action so quickly it’s often difficult to appreciate its merits.

* “Act One ‘95”--Evening A, Met Theatre, 1089 N. Oxford Ave., Hollywood. Friday, Monday, next Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.; May 13 and 27, 5 and 9 p.m.; May 14 and 21, 3 p.m.; May 15, 19, 22, 25, 26, 7:30 p.m. Ends May 27. $19. (213) 957-1152. Running time: 3 hours, 5 minutes.