A Dystopian Future in Illusory ‘Bing’

As far as a sustained narrative goes, Jacqueline Wright’s whimsical and undisciplined verse play “Bing” at Theatre of NOTE leaves much to be desired. When it comes to good old head-banging fun, however, you can’t beat it--at least for the first two hours or so.

The play is set in the not-so-distant future, after a depleted ozone layer has driven much of mankind to mass suicide, or into artificially engineered “bubble” habitats. Bolstered by drugs, rock ‘n’ roll and pure sensation, the abandoned youths whose parents have killed themselves have formed a community of their own.

Beautiful rock singer Cherry (Rosemary Boyce) and her hunky, drug-pushing lover Bobby (Richard Trapp) are the undisputed leaders of the orphan gang. But when Cherry gets the notion that she can compose a rock song that will save the universe, she embarks on a quest of self-discovery that takes her to Sparkling City, a shining world where meaning is illusory and nothing is what it seems.

About as tightly structured as a cerebral hemorrhage, Wright’s play can’t decide whether it is satire, sci-fi, fairy tale or cutting-edge music video. Wise and puckish zanies, director Matt Almos and his youthful cast invest the overall jumble with just the right blend of rigor and wackiness.

David O’s driving original music sets the pace for this sprightly but overlong diversion, but the swirling, hallucinogenic design elements--Evan Ritter’s inventive lighting and Teresa Shea’s gorgeously imaginative sets and costumes--are the real stars of the evening. Visual treats, Shea’s versatile black-lit sets span the stylistic gamut from the urinal chic of the orphans’ dystopian underworld to the glittering precincts of Sparkling City--heaven on a budget.

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* “Bing,” Theatre of NOTE, 1517 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 4 p.m. Ends June 30. $12-$15. (323) 856-8611. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes.