‘Ax’ Delves Into the Silicon Heyday

Anthony Clarvoe’s “Pick Up Ax” at the Hollywood Court Theatre is set in the Silicon Valley “many generations in the past”--the early 1980s, to be exact. That’s the author’s wry comment on the vicissitudes of the computer industry, where technology changes with such lightning speed that six months can render an entire product line obsolete.

The play concerns the fortunes of two computer entrepreneurs, Brian (Tony Masters) and Keith (Ron Rapp), whose fledgling company faces extinction among a host of vicious competitors. A dweeb genius, Keith constitutes the franchise. Brian has always handled the business end of things--until now. Enter Mick (Steve Sturm), a conscienceless corporate strong-arm who introduces the naive pair to the harsh realities of the real world.

First produced in 1990, Clarvoe’s incisive and witty play has the quaintness of a period piece--which it very consciously is. Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz’s lighting of Keith’s interactive “mood room” is pyrotechnically amusing, and Howard Johnston’s sound design thrums to a rock ‘n’ roll beat.

The actors perform at a taut, telling pace--their every move well-considered and smooth. Unfortunately, in an otherwise solid staging, director Alan Bergmann occasionally veers into histrionic excess. However, “Pick Up Ax” is a well-told tale that dramatizes the challenges, compromises and painful human costs of a turbulent and fascinating industry.

*

* “Pick Up Ax,” Hollywood Court Theatre, 6817 Franklin Ave. (in the courtyard of the Hollywood United Methodist Church), Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends May 31. $13-$17. (888) 566-8499. Running time: 2 hours.