‘Language’ Sends Muddled Messages

Despite a commendable goal and a poetic title, “Dream of a Common Language” fails to ignite intellectually, emotionally or artistically. Heather McDonald’s script overstates the obvious and the Little Red Hen Players’ production at the Off Ramp Theatre is riddled with mixed messages.

McDonald’s thesis is that in 1874 France, female artists were driven crazy by their male counterparts who failed to validate women’s creativity. Representing mentally on-the-brink feminine intuition is Clovis (Beverly Nero) whose husband Victor (David Willis) is painting a nude portrait of her. Clovis’ former lover Marc (Mark Salamon) is coming to dinner as is the radical feminist artist Pola (Catherane Skillen). All four were former fellow students at an art academy where women could be models for the life painting class, but couldn’t take the course.

According to McDonald, what holds these women back is their inability to paint nudes. (“I paint flowers like all good girl painters,” gripes one woman.) Whatever happened to self-portraiture, a mirror and some imagination?

The play is filled with stale lines like “Marriage can be lonelier than solitude” that substitute for character development.

As director, Skillen sets a lethargic pace and skittishly plays with nudity in a manner more prudishly American than French. Costume designer Eleanor Hurt Kapner makes a muddled statement--from contemporary and kitschy bridesmaid-type dresses to 1970s-trendy purple knickers to vaguely turn-of-the-century European suits.

* “Dream of a Common Language,” Off Ramp Theatre, 1953 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Ends March 25. $20. (818) 789-TIXX. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes.