A Flawed--but Funny--Trio

Evenings of one-act plays almost always have a wide span of quality, and “Seduction, Monkeys and Coffee” at Santa Ana’s Hunger Artists Theatre is no exception. The biggest surprise here is that the only non-original play, David Ives’ “Words, Words, Words,” is the least successful of the three entries.

“Words,” along with other Ives one-acts, has become a staple of small theaters and college drama departments in recent years. (It’s also currently part of an Ives program running at Westwood’s Geffen Playhouse.)

It’s a simplistic sketch about three chimpanzees trying to fulfill the old scientific premise that if you put some monkeys in a room with typewriters, eventually they will type “Hamlet” as Shakespeare wrote it--an interesting idea, but the result is a one-joke play.

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Under Eric Hamme’s bustling direction here, the play is as random as the premise it’s based on, but Alex Laverde as chimp Swift gives the action enough spark to almost make the skit more than it is. Jeff Soll and Jamie Sweet are effective, but Laverde’s video intro is pointless juvenilia, signifying nothing.

The plays that follow are much more interesting and worthwhile.

“Hairtriggers,” written and directed by Adam Martin, is a verbal riff on the subject of coffee; its setting gives it style.

In an abandoned desert coffee shop after a bank robbery, four very vocal gangsters hole up with the only loot they have left, a coffee machine and some coffee. All of the dialogue pertains to said machine, said coffee and the cups from which they drink it. At first glance it all seems pointless, but the author’s very funny sendup of the genre soon shows its true colors, and the film noir performances by Kelly Flynn, Dru Obade, Mark Coyan and Jami McCoy keep it fresh and lively.

The third and most ambitious entry is Flynn’s “Ismene,” directed by the playwright. It brings the Greek legend of Oedipus’ other daughter (besides Antigone) into the 20th century.

It looks very much a modern Greek story, with Ismene in silk pajamas, and her current love, Cassandra (now a female television news reporter) in sexy lingerie. It is the night of Creon’s murder of Antigone, and Ismene’s conniving for power destroys Cassandra the blabbing news hound and shows Ismene for the control freak she is.

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Flynn’s script is lucid, and its minor updatings are clever. He also directs it well, although it would be interesting to see the script in the hands of another, who might see stronger dramatic values beneath Flynn’s text.

A stronger cast would help too. Mark Coyan is excellent as Felix, Creon’s oily, manipulating chief of staff, but Kimberly M. Fisher, as Ismene, in spite of a well-formed portrait and a stylish presentation, doesn’t have enough inner fire to make Ismene tower over the others. McCoy as Cassandra has the same problem, with even less of the inner energy necessary to bring such a classic character to life with the urgency required.

* “Seduction, Monkeys and Coffee,” Hunger Artists, 204 E. 4th St., Santa Ana. Thursday-Saturday, 8:30 p.m.; Sunday, 7:30 p.m. $10-$12. Ends June 21. (714) 547-9100. Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes.

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“Seduction, Monkeys and Coffee,”

Alex Laverde: Swift

Jeff Soll: Milton

Jamie Sweet: Kafka

Kelly Flynn: Stoke

Dru Obade: Dixie

Mark Coyan: Jagg/Felix

Jami McCoy: Wanda/Cassandra

Kimberly M. Fisher: Ismene

A Hunger Artists production of three one-act plays: “Words, Words, Words” by David Ives; “Hairtriggers” by Adam Martin; “Ismene” by Kelly Flynn. Scenic design: Melissa Petro. Lighting: Jill Johnson. Stage manager: Damon Hill.