Strangers in the Park

That reminds me of a story . . . Those six words propel “Chaim’s Love Song,” an American Renegade production at the Bitter Truth Theater.

Chaim (Allen Bloomfield) is a crusty 74-year-old New Yorker who has, predictably, a heart of gold. In Brooklyn’s Jefferson Park, he encounters thirtysomething Kelly (Annie Talbot), who is depressed about her recent relocation from Iowa.

The audience knows how unhappy Kelly is because she talks aloud while writing in her diary in the park. Marvin Chernoff’s sentimental play contains several such obvious devices. In fact, the whole structure--Chaim meets a stranger and tells her his life story--is, in a sense, a device. But at moments, “Chaim’s Love Song” transcends its infrastructure and provides genuinely touching scenes.

The play particularly benefits from a lead actor whose face has more character than may be on the page. Bloomfield doesn’t try to even out Chaim’s rough edges: He’s hard on his kids, he makes no apologies for his opinions.

While a likable character and presence, Arnold Weiss seems less perfectly cast as Chaim’s best friend, Oscar. Weiss is clearly too young to be Bloomfield’s senior, and his accent sounds more nasal than ethnic.

The cast standout is Rochelle Savitt, who plays Chaim’s Holocaust-survivor wife. With simple style she conveys the tragedy of her early life, but handles her comic scenes with agility.

Under David Cox’s direction, Savitt and Bloomfield also reveal the tense dynamics of their complicated marriage in a few short scenes, which unfortunately don’t come until the second act.

Kelly, on the other hand, is hung out to dry by playwright Chernoff. Annie Talbot spends nearly the entire play sitting on a bench listening to Chaim’s tales, punctuating them with hokey lines, such as: “Home is anywhere you are when you are with people you love.”

Though Kelly claims to have some difficulty communicating with her husband, this problem is easily dispatched at the end. She could be half the story. Instead, she is simply a receptacle for Chaim’s memories.

The supporting roles suffer from a similar problem. While one doesn’t expect much definition to be written in the small parts, the actors don’t flesh out these characters beyond stereotype.

Sentiment and nostalgia seem to be what Chernoff is after, and that much he achieves. The audience Saturday night cooed with recognition at locales, events and experiences.

Apparently sentiment sells. “Chaim’s Love Song” is sold out for weeks to come.

BE THERE

“Chaim’s Love Song” at the Bitter Truth Theatre, 11050 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood. Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 4:30 p.m. Ends May 31. $15. (818) 763-4430. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.