Six-Sketch ‘All Alone Together’ Falters After a Strong Start

The Blue Sphere Alliance presents an uneven bill of six one-person dramatic sketches under the collective title of “All Alone Together: Solos in Harmony II,” at the Lex Theatre.

The first half is the strongest, leading off with David Drake’s “The Birthday Triptych” from “The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me.” Under Joe Seabeck and Sal Romeo’s deft direction, Kevin Fabian captures the childish zest of a 6-year-old, the awkward first love of 16 and the politically activated young Turk of 22 with conviction and winsomeness in his Bert and Ernie white T-shirt and jeans.

Lara Grice and Van Riley’s adaptation of Rebecca Wells’ novel “Little Altars Everywhere” touches on the horrors of adolescence. A young girl (Grice) battles to be popular at the expense of being kind. Riley directs with humor, and Grice has a girlish bounce and innocence that softens her act of intentional cruelty into an easily understood message.

“A Dish Served Cold” is Jim Hanna’s tale of a distasteful speech by a best man. Having downed one beer and halfway through another, the best man (Patrick Wilkins) works on ruining the wedding day for everyone, including himself. Wilkins plays his character dead of hope and choking with a still anger that’s emphasized by director Gary Bullock, giving the audience a twinge of discomfort.

Played against each other under the direction of Seth Peterson, Adrian R’Mante’s “Accused” and Linda Loftin’s “Victim on Death Row” aren’t strong enough to stand alone, but don’t quite work together either. R’Mante isn’t altogether convincing as a man being questioned about his girlfriend’s murder, mostly due to the weak scripting. Loftin does better as a poorly educated woman on death row for killing her abusive husband, but her script says nothing especially new.

Carla Johnston’s “Girl Scout Rejects” is about the politics of food and women. Ann Partrich has an air of pathetic sadness as a woman hiding in the Utah mountains to mourn her friend’s death from anorexia. But the script wanders and loses its way, and director David Valcin can’t quite head it off at the pass.

Partrich hands out mint thins and marshmallows, but that’s not enough to give a substantial ending to a bill that starts out so well.

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* “All Alone Together,” Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave., Hollywood. Tuesdays, 8 p.m. Ends Dec. 14. $12. (323) 957-5782. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes.