Highs and Lows of ‘Comings and Goings’

“Comings and Goings,” an evening of Beckett one-acts at the Actors’ Gang, is occasionally very, very good--and occasionally, shall we say, interpretively challenged.

“Play,” the evening’s opener, is also its set piece. The actors, Stephanie Erb, Bjorn Johnson and Nancy Hower, appear as disembodied heads in stone urns engaging in choppy chatter about their dismal love triangle. Under the keenly timed direction of Tracy Young, the actors never miss a beat of Beckett’s propulsive exercise. The split-second lighting could make or break the play, and lighting designer Rachel Hauck beautifully meets the challenge.

Another highlight is Steven M. Porter’s performance in “Krapp’s Last Tape,” also directed by Young. Puckish yet poignant, Porter brings a welcome whimsy to Beckett’s tragicomic play about the dreams of youth and the disappointments of age.

The other offerings, “Rough for Theatre II,” “Footfalls” and “Come and Go,” provide a rare opportunity to see full stagings of some of Beckett’s more obscure works. However, while certainly competent, these three plays fail to measure up to the standard set by the other two or to do full justice to Beckett’s cryptic vision.

* “Comings and Goings,” Actors’ Gang, 6209 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Mondays-Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Ends Oct. 25. $10. (213) 466-1767. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.