Instant Theater’s Macabre ‘Ladykiller’ Beats Fiction

Writer/director Vince Waldron’s lengthy obsession with the unsolved 1963 murder of a cheerleader in his hometown was hardly wasted energy--at least it spawned the Instant Theater’s “Confessions of a Ladykiller,” a comically macabre chronicle of his attempts to discover the killer’s identity.

Loosely adapted from actual events, this taut, satisfying piece at Theatre/Theater enlists a versatile troupe to evoke the various eccentric residents of a small Midwestern community still burdened with guilt and denial over the senseless death of a perky innocent (Suzy Cote). Richard Kuhlman plays Jack, the narrator and stand-in for Waldron, who leads us on an alternately bemused and horrified odyssey through the townsfolk’s shattered values.

The other performers don various roles at the drop of a name. With just a change of hairstyle, talented Jeanette Schwaba cycles through a whirlwind of characters ranging from Jack’s mother to his school heartthrob. Chief among Jim Fyfe’s impeccable turns is his creepy portrait of the victim’s sullen, lumbering boyfriend. Layne Beamer and Rich Reetz round out the diverse population.

Waldron’s no-frills staging draws heavily on improv in its elastic boundaries and edgy charge. From precise imaginary object work to syncopated whispering that evokes ominous rainfall, this is inventive work. Only once does the story reach beyond the appeal of personal anecdote to a more universal concern--with Jack’s insight into the murderer’s impulse during an incident of potential domestic violence in his own relationship--but it’s a killer moment.

* “Confessions of a Ladykiller,” Theatre/Theater, 1713 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends Feb. 25. $15. (213) 466-1767. Running time: 1 hour, 10 minutes.