Golden Moments in ‘Taste of Honey’

When Shelagh Delaney’s “A Taste of Honey” opened at the tail end of the 1950s in London, it stood as a sort of allegory for the state of the British Empire at the time, disenfranchised and coming apart at the seams.

From a 17-year-old playwright, it was startling in its realism, its anger and in its often gentle humor. This revival at Cal State Fullerton’s Arena Theatre has the fire and honesty of the original.

The only thing it lacks is the flavor. Director Monica Leite changed the locale from Great Britain to Chicago, removing the play’s bigger statement and leaving only its picture of the battle between generations. It’s still a powerful play, but the tawdry lives of its characters, in this setting, speak only for themselves. And hearing dialogue shaped for the rhythms of working-class British speech spoken with American accents does a disservice to Delaney’s incisive writing.

Otherwise, Leite’s handling of the drama is impeccable. Every moment is sharp and clear; the richly shaded emotional rhythms are played with the precision of a Mozart sonata, and the moods shift seamlessly from moment to moment. Leite’s staging is interesting, and her technical aspects are inventive, particularly in Stephen Shanahan’s lighting design.

Erin Mosher gives a powerful and insightful performance as Jo, the teenage heroine, who trails after her barmaid mother from apartment to apartment and, more pertinently, from man to man. As her nasty, self-centered mother, Helen, Keri Hostetler proves she is not among those actors who worry about audience approval. She digs into Helen’s vicious streak and phony solicitude with obvious delight, and the honesty of her approach, the integrity of her acting choices, bring Helen frighteningly to life.

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Ryan Jacobson is a gay art student, Geof, who moves in with Jo after Helen deserts her for a disastrous marriage to a drunken clod. Jacobson provides a sensitive and often touching portrait of an emotionally torn young man who devotes himself to caring for Jo during her pregnancy. Jo has flashes of romantic remembrance of the young sailor Jimmie who left her with child, but she’s really too busy growing up to hold on to dreams.

Stephen Ohab is charming and buoyant as Jimmie in his few scenes. Justin Walvoord, as the drunken Peter, is excellent, though he sometimes lays the brutishness on too heavily.

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* “A Taste of Honey,” Arena Theatre, Cal State Fullerton, NutwoodAvenue and State College Boulevard, Fullerton. Wednesday-Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2:30 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m. Ends Sunday. $7. (714) 278-3371. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes.

Keri Hostetler: Helen

Erin Mosher: Jo

Justin Walvoord: Peter

Stephen Ohab: Jimmie

Ryan Jacobson: Geof

A Cal State Fullerton Department of Theatre and Dance production of Shelagh Delany’s drama. Directed by Monica Leite. Scenic/costume/makeup design: Czarina Hizon. Lighting design: Stephen Shanahan. Sound design: David Miller. Stage manager: Rita Renee.