The Oddly Upbeat Return of ‘Three Sisters’

That lives mired in banality and tedium can be so riveting to observe is the miraculous paradox in the plays of Anton Chekhov. His portraits of provincial Russians at the turn of the 20th century are as compelling--but also as difficult to stage--as anything in the theater.

Interact Theatre Company’s unusually perky “Three Sisters” sidesteps the ponderous brooding that plagues so many misguided revivals, though sometimes to a fault. The girlish chirping of the Prozorov siblings (Sione Owen, Kelly Lohman, Robyn Cohen), as they dream of a return to Moscow from their small-town exile is so charming that it’s hard to feel the weight of the bars on their cage. Even the unattainable army officer (Don Fischer) who breaks the unhappily married Masha’s heart is such a cheery optimist it’s hard to accord him any blame for his callousness.

At times it even seems as if director Peter Levin willfully contradicts the character essences that drive the story to ultimate tragedy; for example, Emily Deschanel’s rather elegant presence as the sister-in-law, whose gaucherie should be her defining characteristic, or double-casting handsome Stephen Heath (along with Robert Dolan) as the baron who is supposed to be offering Irina security without glamour or sex appeal.

In too many respects, the breezy delivery and galloping pace come across like line readings, curiously bereft of any sense of the inner disruption inflicted by the disappointments the characters endure. And without a descent into the essence of these characters, there’s no place else to go--there are no car chases in Chekhov.

*

“Three Sisters,” Interact Theatre Company, 5215 Bakman Ave., North Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. Ends Jan. 13. $20. (818) 773-7862. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes.

Philip Brandes

*

Performers Pick Up Pace of ‘Slow Dance’

Well-crafted performances and tight staging tame melodramatic excesses to make “Slow Dance on the Killing Ground” more of a brisk waltz through urban angst.

Set in a seedy 1962 Brooklyn candy shop (though the set is stocked more like a convenience store), William Hanley’s three-character drama is one of those edgy, confrontational, chance-meeting scenarios that promise unpleasant revelations, and it doesn’t disappoint.

Glas (Robert Schuch), the proprietor, is a sullen, downtrodden Nazi concentration camp survivor trying to coast through the rest of his life without a ripple. Unfortunately, his shop has just been invaded by the flamboyantly dressed, erratic Randall (“Passions” star Donn Swaby), an obviously intelligent but disturbed (and disturbing) young black man.

The two square off in antagonistic banter that begins at the outer edges--their respective race and social class, but eventually bores past their defenses into their personal demons.

Though both actors sustain interest, the piece takes off with the second-act entrance of Rosie (Emily Beth Strohl), a sassy college student from the Bronx who’s become lost on her way to an abortionist. Director Zadia Ife effectively balances Rosie’s comic relief against the story’s darker currents.

For many years, Hanley’s play was a frequent source of audition material (Rosie in particular). The reasons are obvious--the piece is practically wall-to-wall monologues, and the author’s keen ear for mannerisms of speech are its strongest suit.

The confrontational intensity is less original, however. Imagine Rod Steiger in “The Pawnbroker” meets a ‘60s-era incarnation of Hickey from “The Iceman Cometh” and you’re right on track.

*

“Slow Dance on the Killing Ground,” Ventura Court Theatre, 12147 Ventura Court, Studio City. Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends Jan. 6. $18-20. (818) 773-7899. Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes.

Philip Brandes

*

Dicey Issues Leavened With ‘Gallows Humor’

From the title of Jack Richardson’s play, “Gallows Humor,” you can probably guess that this is black comedy. This Laurelgrove Theatre revival features some fine moments of psychological drama, but the play itself is dated and wordy.

The prologue has Death (Gregory Von Dare) lamenting his newly minimized role, particularly in comparison with medieval plays. In the first act, a mild-mannered murderer (Alex Wells), on his last night alive, confronts the hired prostitute (Vinessa Shaw) brought in by the warden (Travis Michael Holder) to give him a buoyant demeanor at the gallows. The warden hopes to assuage the death penalty critics in this manner.

Wells’ Walter is frightening in the meekness that reveals an obsessive need for order. The sultry Shaw slinks about as a reminder that sex, with or without love, is a disorderly affair.

In the second act, the warden confronts his executioner, Phillip (Paul Carr), at home as Phillip’s wife, Martha (Mary Cobb), is fixing breakfast. Phillip wants to wear a medieval executioner’s hood for a more spiffy presentation. The warden won’t have it, but the warden will have a few romantic clinches with Phillip’s sturdy, practical wife.

Cobb’s Martha is a solid presence, more grounded than either of the men, and in a way, more cunning. As her husband, Carr is flighty, fanciful, but ultimately a failure.

Director Von Dare could tighten up the pacing a bit. In this world after the O.J. Simpson and Rodney King trials, Jackson’s humorous contemplation isn’t enough to make one think things that we haven’t already been forced to consider. Yet it does work as a contemplation on the hidden darkness of seemingly mild-mannered men.

*

“Gallows Humor,” Laurelgrove Theatre, 12265 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends Dec. 30. $20. (818) 760-8368. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes.

Jana J. Monji