Ambitious ‘Eden’ Fascinates--in Act 1

In “Eden,” her ambitious and surreal play at Theatre of NOTE about the effect of AIDS on a trio of female friends, Jennifer Maisel evokes a fascinating millennial dreamscape of urban dread, psychic fragmentation and imperfect human connection--in the first act, that is. Then, the play’s initial promise veers into indiscipline and silliness. Not only does Maisel lose focus and get bogged down in extraneous subplots, but her drama culminates in a misguided finale that strives to be loopy but succeeds only in stranding an otherwise fine cast between two irreconcilable dramatic styles. It’s a baffling violation of tone, the kind of mishmash that might have resulted had Preston Sturges been called in at the last moment to script doctor a Brecht play.

However, until the play strips its gears, director Dan Oliverio gives us a smooth ride, negotiating the tricky dramatic terrain with momentum and purpose. Among the gifted cast, Pamela Gordon is particularly moving as a Holocaust survivor trying to coax her AIDS-infected daughter (Lisa Anne Morrison) to embrace life in the shadow of death. Jonathan Klein’s muted lighting sets the stage for urban disorientation, as does Corby Gallegos’ haunting original music and sound design.

For a large part of the evening, Maisel demonstrates a sure hand and a formidable flair for the mysterious. Now, if she could only capture the vagaries of the human comedy without lapsing into burlesque.

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* “Eden,” Theatre of NOTE, 1517 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturday, 8 p.m. Ends Sept. 4. $10 to $12. (323) 856-8611. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes.