‘70s ‘Anarchist’ Is Refreshingly Revived

Italian playwright Dario Fo’s recent Nobel Prize for literature seems strikingly ironic. Outrageously iconoclastic, Fo’s commedia-influenced farces are pitched so far outside the mainstream they defy official encomiums.

“Accidental Death of an Anarchist,” Fo’s early ‘70s satire, now at the Evidence Room, depicts the chaos that arises when one gloriously demented Fool (Gregory Sporleder), impersonating a muckraking judge, leads a bunch of corrupt cops on a series of merry tangents. Richard Nelson’s translation has been hilariously updated by director Steve Pink and the gang at New Crime Productions. Even feature film actor John Cusack, the artistic director of this formerly Chicago-based company, shows up for the fun, making a cameo appearance in a taped video segment.

Rough patches in the production include the live video feeds in the tech-heavy second act, which result too often in dead microphones and wildly veering camera angles. Also, Pink’s staging occasionally verges on the precious; the device of having the actors address every line directly to the audience, never to one another, wears thin.

Propulsive original music is performed live by composers Carla Azar and Eugene Goreshter, who also contribute wonderful live sound effects. Nothing is “true” in the skewed set design by Bill Cusack (John’s brother), a witty visual metaphor for the surrealistically twisted proceedings. The aerobically madcap cast gives Fo the full screwball treatment, delightfully so. The ranking screwball, however, is Sporleder’s Fool, a bundle of twitching, twirling energy who sets the pace for the pack, comedically emphasizing Fo’s serious disgust with official corruption.

Although “Anarchist” was penned almost three decades ago, this fresh and manic production establishes Fo’s durability beyond a reasonable doubt.

* “Accidental Death of an Anarchist,” Evidence Room, 3542 Hayden Ave., Culver City. Thursdays-Sundays, 8 p.m. Ends Dec. 20. $15. (310) 841-2799. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.