Carrying ‘Devil’ Too Heavy a Burden

Ulf Nilsson’s Swedish fable “The Man Who Carried the Devil on His Back,” translated by Johan Westermark and Juan A Mas, would really be more appropriate in a storytelling contest than as a full-blown piece of theater. That’s not for lack of trying, however. First, at center stage, there’s the narrator (Bobbi Konshuk) who relates this colorful tale of a peasant entering into an unholy alliance with Satan. Beside her stands a trio of musicians (Igor, Bruce Gilman and Adam Idell) playing Igor’s original music. Then, stage right, there’s an artist (Carlos Rittner) who paints a complete picture during the course of the performance. Despite the multimedia treatment, this offering in the Actors Playground’s Empty Space Series at the Court Theater, remains static. Nilsson’s story fascinates from a purely folkloric perspective, but Mas’ untheatrically stark staging verges on the uninspired. And while the music memorably underscores the narrative, the onstage painting seems extraneous. Which leaves Konshuk who, despite a certain verve and presence, strikes one as too girlishly ingenuous to be convincing as a virile peasant, much less wicked Old Scratch.

* “The Man Who Carried the Devil on His Back,” Court Theater, 722 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles. Fridays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3:30 p.m. Ends Sept. 3. $15. (310) 305-8061. Running time: 1 hour, 15 minutes.