Both One-Acts Set in Moloch: Obvious

In the Bible, pagan worshipers appeased the dread god Moloch by burning their children in sacrifice. “Moloch” has come to mean anything that demands a sacrifice of what we hold dearest.

It’s no coincidence that Phillip Hayes Dean has set his two one-acts, now playing at the Melrose Theatre, in the fictional steel town of Moloch, Mich. The symbolic intent is obvious--too obvious, as is the overall thematic thrust of these compelling but simplistic dramas, both of which examine the destructive legacy of the African American male’s powerlessness.

In “The Owl Killer,” set in 1950, steelworker Noah (Mel Winkler) has endured 30 years of browbeating by his white supervisor. In turn, Noah constantly abuses and belittles his own family--or rather, his wife Emma (Marlene Warfield), since both his children have fled his control.

Now, Noah’s only son is on the lam for a grisly murder. Defiant daughter Stella Mae (Bahni Turpin) wants cash to help her brother get out of town. As the recriminations escalate, the bitterly obdurate Noah resorts to an act of final desperation.

Howard Kalmenson, who directed both plays, keeps the action as pointed as Dean’s desultory dialogue permits. Winkler gives a surface performance, never tapping into the darkest recesses of his character, although Turpin is feisty and fine, and Warfield convincingly long-suffering.

In “Dink’s Blues,” which takes place 20 years later, Fish House Fats (Lincoln Kilpatrick), the owner of an after-hours joint, gets a late-night visit from his drunken, ne’er-do-well brother Dink (Dick Anthony Williams).

The two wind up discussing the past, including their upbringing by their tough, abusive father. Beautifully performed by Kilpatrick and Williams, this rambling but funny character piece lightly skims over its dramatic terrain before veering off-road into melodrama.

* “The Owl Killer” and “Dink’s Blues,” Melrose Theatre, 733 N. Seward St., Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m., Sundays, 4 p.m. Ends July 2. $14-$16. (213) 466-1767. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes.