‘Life Support’ in Need of Authenticity

What would cause strangers with opposite personalities to fall in love while awaiting news of their respective hospitalized spouses? Probably more than glib banter.

Lab results on “Life Support,” George Tricker’s new two-character drama at Actors Alley at the El Portal, reveal an intriguing premise, valiant efforts from a pair of fine actors, and a script in need of intensive care.

In the hospital’s only smoking lounge, Alan (Joe Garcia), a house painter with a knack for sidestepping difficult choices, wrangles with Carol (Madonna Young-Magee), a high-powered real estate agent adept at confrontation. Their sparring consistently opts for cleverness at the expense of believability--a college dropout with an avowedly true-blue collar isn’t likely given to Noel Cowardesque witticisms like, “According to my faithful watch the time is half-past facing reality.”

Once we’re past the particularly formulaic setup, however, periodic injections of simple, unfiltered feeling attack the characters’ overly analytical artifice like penicillin. Uncertainty, desperation, hope and fear of being alone are symptoms poignantly rendered by both performers under Betty Karlen’s unsentimentally surgical direction. Increased doses of emotional authenticity could result in an excellent prognosis.

* “Life Support,” Actors Alley at the El Portal, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends March 15. $16. (818) 508-4200. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.