Too Little Discussion Among Themselves

Dee puts an ad in a Southern California newspaper in hopes of forming a Wednesday-night discussion group. The purpose: to talk about the woes of the world and what can be done about them. A hands-on chat group.

Dee sets out snacks and folding chairs and waits.

One by one they arrive, whether sullen, sprightly, mysterious, bright or dumb, but all with something in mind other than the world’s problems. Like most such groups, they’re mostly looking for friends and, more desperately, liaisons of some sort.

That’s the premise of “The Wednesday Night Save-the-World Society,” a play by Dave Eisenstark and Fred Burke seeing its world premiere at the Chance Theater in Anaheim Hills. It’s a promising idea that peters out early on.

Director Oanh X. Nguyen provides as much performance muscle as possible, but he can’t give the play a dramatic fulcrum, which just isn’t in the script. The group sits around, feebly mentioning current-events tidbits, but only in the obvious manner of those 1930s plays that provided the author with a soapbox to rail about particular societal pet peeves.

It’s all an excuse for the group members to put the make on each other, whether for one-night stands or for more permanent attachments. Such obviousness may have been the playwrights’ point, but the result is as dull as an Internet chat room, and that does not make a play.

The actors try their best with this simplistic and sophomoric material but are defeated by its emptiness. Veronica Johnson, as organizer Dee, who is desperate for a relationship, and Amy Blomquist as a hip young woman hot to trot, but only on her terms, are both better than their material and stand out.

Martin Williams’ Keller, a smart-aleck ad copywriter, and Joan Land’s Beverly, a homeless divorcee, make brave efforts, but the monotone writing gives them nothing to play against. Nor does it help the otherwise interesting performance of Esther Fredricksen, another writer of whom not much is made in the script.

Dan Lookabill, Aubrey Hartman and David Araujo are lost in the shuffle.

The sad choice of material is unfortunate for this new theater organization, with one of the most comfortable small theaters around, abounding with energy and plans to stage only original plays. Maybe their luck, and choice, will be better next time.

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* “The Wednesday Night Save-the-World Society,” Chance Theater, 5576 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim Hills. Friday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 6 p.m.. Ends June 20. $15. (714) 777-3033. Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes.

Veronica Johnson: Dee

Martin Williams: Keller

Dan Lookabill: Quinn

Joan Land: Beverly

Amy Blomquist: Delphine

Aubrey Hartman: Burt

Esther Fredricksen: Linda

David Araujo: Perry

A Spare Change Productions staging of Dave Eisenstark and Fred Burke’s play. Director: Oanh X. Nguyen. Scenic design: Fred Hatfield. Lighting design: Jim Book. Sound design: Chris Ceballos. Costume design: Erika Ceporius. Stage manager: Jeff Hellebrand.