A ‘Biting’ Twist on Family Relationships

Shades of Frank Capra--a young man’s suicidal impulses are thwarted by celestial intervention atop a bridge. But in “White Biting Dog” at Hollywood’s Mojo Ensemble, Judith Thompson’s offbeat, sardonic look at tortured family relationships suggest it may not be such a wonderful life after all.

At least not for self-destructive Cape (Larry Cox), after an ethereal cartoon canine that seems to have wandered in from a Laurie Anderson performance shores him up with inspirational platitudes and sends him back to the bosom of his kinfolk to heal long-festering wounds.

Not an easy task considering Cape feels nothing but contempt for his dying father (Barry Lynch), a self-absorbed whiner intent on hastening his return to the soil by periodically dousing himself with peat moss. When his free-spirited mother (Leigh Hamilton) arrives for an unexpected visit with her obtuse lover (Michael McNeill) in tow, Cape conspires with his newfound girlfriend (Tchia Casselle) to reunite his estranged parents, despite his own latent Oedipal attachment.

Thompson’s strikingly original writing style can get oppressively clever (especially when sacrificing realism and continuity for interior psychological venting), but more often she succeeds in baring these characters’ frayed nerves with a ferocity beyond the reach of conventional dialogue.

Under Michele Martin’s tight direction, sharp performances sustain interest through the meandering surreal plot--especially from Hamilton, who puts a delightful comic spin even on lines like “Inside I feel like--sewage,” and Casselle, who makes her overweight wallflower character’s plunge into all-consuming passion resonate with silliness and horror at the same time.

* “White Biting Dog,” Mojo Ensemble, 1540 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, 8 p.m. Ends May 27. $8-$15. (213) 960-1604. Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes.