Classic ‘Beatrice’ Saga Has Postmodern Point of View

Though classical sources ripple in abundance through Circle X Theatre Company’s production of “Beatrice” at the Hudson Theater Guild, Seattle playwright Suzanne Maynard’s quirky, thoughtful fairy tale offers a distinctly postmodern perspective on the coming-of-age theme.

On the eve of her arranged marriage, Maynard’s heroine Beatrice (Wendy Abas) has never had to face adult feelings or responsibilities. An orphan raised in the care of an amusingly worldly maid (Jayne Taini), the virgin Beatrice has nurtured an idealistic romantic bloom with her “Secret Garden”-ish gardener Samuel (Karl Bury).

Though Beatrice’s romanticism keeps tripping over her own selfishness, her initial sing-song refrain of “Me Me Me!” must give way to hard, bittersweet choices with the arrival of her clueless, babbling financier suitor (Charlie Dell). Viewers may detect more than a passing allusion to the Jacobean tragedy “The Changeling,” in both Beatrice’s name and the murder she briefly tries to persuade Samuel to commit as proof of his feelings for her. There’s even an odd echo from “Romeo and Juliet,” and while events here remain pretty innocuous by comparison, Beatrice’s loss of innocence is still poignant.

Maynard’s strengths are in directly articulating the latent psychological currents in traditional mythology, particularly sexual impulses--a flair emphasized in Michael Michetti’s visually witty staging. When the stuffy financier is forced to straddle a stool with a knife lodged in the seat, his awkward attempt to cover the protrusion with a napkin only makes the image more suggestive. The unabashed libidos of the maid’s daughter (Jody Hahn) and her fisherman lover (Jacob Sidney) provide further opportunities for salacious romping. Jolene Hjerleid hovers in enigmatic silence as the spirit of Beatrice’s mother--learning the secret of her death is a pivotal revelation for Beatrice.

Less successful are Maynard’s attempts at overtly comic dialogue, and Michetti’s decision to punch already strained punch lines aggravates the problem. M.E. Dunn and Charles McQuary supply some inventive touches in a storybook cartoon set complete with a moving trail of oversized ants, woven from colored pipe cleaners, and twittering birds that descend when characters get their justly deserved bonks on the head.

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* “Beatrice,” Hudson Theater Guild, 6543 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 and 7 p.m. Ends Sept. 4. $15. (323) 969-9239, Ext. 2. Running time: 2 hours.