‘Unknown’ Plot Takes Over World!

Marty Reston not only publishes the tabloid magazine The Unknown, but also writes all of its outrageous near-science-fiction stories. He and his partner, artist Charlie Marx, have been at it since high school. But now they’ve hit a snag.

They’ve used up Elvis sightings, flying saucers, double-headed births and all the other tricks of the trade, and readers are getting bored. Marty needs a sockeroo shocker. That’s the setup for the world premiere of Kelly Flynn’s “The Unknown,” presented in Santa Ana by Hunger Artists Theatre. The premise promises insight into what today’s public will accept and some fun along the way.

That promise is only partially fulfilled here. Under Shannon C.M. Flynn’s kinetic direction, the play and, sometimes, the performances don’t quite know what they want to be.

In the beginning the show leans toward comedy. Then a sense of satire takes over. Both are admirable, but both are submerged by plot turns, dialogue and action right out of old Saturday-morning serials.

The playwright’s good idea is lost in pseudo-seriousness, and unnecessary over-plotting overshadows the silliness of the magazine material.

A nut-case named Howard Driver sends in reams of material about the Deros, a nation of beings living beneath the surface of Earth. They want to take over the planet and already control much of our activity, including UPS, according to Driver.

When the published story turns out to be true, he winds up with bodies strewn all over his office after a government helicopter attack.

The biggest stumbling block in the staging is the one-note performance of Damon W. Hill as Driver, as evil a villain as ever terrified kids at a matinee.

Had Hill looked more intelligent and been more pleasant, he would have seemed more evil and given the script credibility.

Mark Coyan is excellent as Marty, hyper and highly obsessed. As partner Charlie, playwright Flynn has a good feel for the character’s honesty and simplicity.

Mark Palkoner is effective as an effete friend, and Melissa Petro is calm as Marty’s long-suffering fiancee.

As Driver’s ineffectual wife, Kathi Kent has the right tone of resignation but is too self-effacing. Shallow, stereotypical portrayals hamper the forceful performances of Scott Parks as a militia-style zealot fighting the Deros and Timothy C. Todd as an advance man for the evil beings.

* “The Unknown,” 204 E. 4th St., Santa Ana. Thursday-Saturday, 8:30 p.m.; Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Ends Aug. 2. $10-$12. (714) 547-9100. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes.

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“The Unknown,”

Mark Coyan:Marty Reston

Kelly Flynn: Charlie Marx

Mark Palkoner: Arthur Crenshaw

Melissa Petro: Mel

Scott Parks: Stark

Damon W. Hill: Howard Driver

Kathi Kent: Mrs. Driver

Timothy C. Todd: The Man in Black

A Hunger Artists production of a new play by Kelly Flynn. Directed by Shannon Flynn. Scenic design: Melissa Petro. Lighting design: Sean Gallagher. Sound design: Robbin Broad. Stage manager: Jenn Zaragozza.