‘Conception’ Paints Kinky Picture of L.A.

Wesley Walker’s dark comedy “The Conception” at Glaxa Studios is a disturbing, intellectually kinky, surreal tale. It tastefully conjures up the underlying violence and alienation of civilized life in Los Angeles, all played with cool remoteness to a sinister, yet infectious beat.

A magician in a white tux (Gill Gayle) and a woman who gave up her two babies for adoption (Dana Wieluns) are walking on Mulholland Drive. The woman watches carefully as the magician begins to spew his rage and then falls down unconscious. A rich man (Jack Kehler) wanders up and takes the woman to his house to be his slave. Gazing like a captive deer, she allows him to put a dog collar on her neck and leash her. He takes her for a drive in a car equipped with gadgets of sexual exploration.

The magician becomes the house guest of a woman (Shawna Casey) who teaches him and another man (John Horn) how to become women. Wearing shapeless dresses, the two men spit out coarse mutterings as they try to reach their feminine sides at her tea party.

Walker’s direction is taut and unerring. The actors hypnotically move to Robert Oriol’s sound design. The violence and sexual sadism are only suggested, remaining unseen but imagined.

This washed-out world of whites and beiges is at once a ridiculous yet fascinating improbability, lurking in a realm between Fellini and myth.

* “The Conception,” Glaxa Studios, 3707 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Ends May 1. $12. (323) 692-7746. Running time: 1 hour, 15 minutes.

‘Superhumans’ Tries the Viewer’s Patience

Tom Scanlon’s dark comedy “The Superhumans,” at Moving Arts, is super boring. This story about a clash between an atheist communist (Mark Chaet) and a devout Catholic capitalist (Brad Henson) is a 15-minute premise stretched to an unbearable 80 minutes.

Kristy Knefelkamp’s costume design against Russ Edge’s set design offers visual interest, but Scanlon’s concept of “a comedy of extremes” in which Sal (Henson) and Sol (Chaet) bitterly battle out their ideological differences is a one-note tune-up attempting to be a melody.

Adding Sal’s wife, Sally (Frankie Cohen), and Sol’s dog (James Smith) gives Sal and Sol something to lose to each other, but does anyone really care? By the time the locale is transported to Cuba and Castro, one wishes transporter beams would find some intelligent life somewhere else.

Under Matt Almos’ direction, Henson and Chaet emote passion but can’t manage to salvage this meager material.--J.J.M.

* “The Superhumans,” Moving Arts, 1822 Hyperion Ave., Silver Lake. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends April 11. $14. (323) 665-8961. Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.