Gods of Words, Worship

A pair of Orange County writers premiered their latest plays this weekend, one exploring a literary love triangle both smooth and jagged, the other involving a dead actor’s role in his son’s destiny.

Let’s start with Kristina Leach’s “Grasmere,” an ambitious if frustrating peek at what might have gone on behind closed cottage doors in rural England at the turn of the 19th century. The inhabitants aren’t your standard country gentry, but celebrated Romantic poets William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Wordsworth’s artistic sister, Dorothy.

Leach, a Cal State Fullerton graduate from Tustin who unveiled “Grasmere” at the campus’s Arena Theatre, doesn’t claim to be outlining history here. The program says it’s “a what might have been,” loosely based on biographical accounts. Leach really is most drawn to the personalities and, more broadly, to what inspires creativity, and how art and love both strengthen and test the relationships.

The drama opens with Dorothy (Annie DiMartino) alone and reflecting on what her life has become. She seems a bit too introspective, even sad, and it sets a tone of slight tension and regret that director Joseph Arnold maintains through much of “Grasmere,” aided by Megan Foster’s pale, austere set of a drawing room and Nathan Jones’ shadowy lighting.

The momentum picks up when William (Logan Sledge) appears, and accelerates as Samuel (Aaron G. Lamb) arrives for a long stay after living in London and France. He mysteriously mentions a woman and her child he visited in Provence, dredging up memories for William of a past love (clearly Annette Valloon, with whom Wordsworth had an affair) and sparking jealousy in Dorothy.

But soon enough, the three are eagerly gabbing about poetry and it’s obvious that Samuel sees himself as inferior, forever scribbling in the greater Wordsworth’s shadow. William, for his part, implores his friend to pull him off the pedestal and Dorothy, for hers, smiles reprovingly at these two men behaving like boys.

And here’s where “Grasmere” slips. The three don’t resonate enough beyond these surface attitudes, with William projecting as not much more than a pleasant but oblivious aristocrat, Dorothy as his devoted but dissatisfied reflection (Wordsworth’s sister is often credited as the catalyst for many of his love sonnets) and Samuel as a doubting laudanum addict who can barely navigate the writing of his famous poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”

The arrival of pretty Mary Hutchinson (Darcy Blakesley), who woos and is in turn wooed by William, energizes everyone but we’re still left to guess at what these people are about deep down and deeper. We’re reminded of their genius, but don’t get beyond an inkling of what makes them so. The vivid acting does help connect us, especially DiMartino’s portrayal of Dorothy’s obsessive love for her brother.

The strengths in “Grasmere” are as apparent as its weakness. Leach has a deft touch, often finding poetry in the lines, and the play is gracefully constructed. I also liked how telling bits of dialogue overlap, each character sharing in the sentiment, as if blended together they become a fuller, truer artist.

*

Although a big slice of J.R. Sussman’s “For Pete’s Sake” at the Chance Theater in Anaheim Hills takes place in heaven, most of the characters are more ordinary than the human heavyweights of “Grasmere.”

At the hub of the Newport Beach writer’s play is Peter (Stephen Lawrence), a failed actor who’s introduced right after he’s died in a car accident. God (Jim McElenney) has taken time from his schedule battling terrorism and imploding stars to let Peter know how tough being a deity can be--and to decide what kind of life Peter’s son (Darryl Hovis) will have.

“For Pete’s Sake” is meant to be a feel-good message play, but it’s rather sentimental and muddled. The point is that we should accept what fate hands us and that every great thing comes with a price, so be careful what you choose. Or something along those lines.

Anyway, Peter’s choice gives Peter Jr. a super life as a famous actor, with pots of money, a lovely wife (Mary Alyce Kania) and infant son. But the perfect picture cracks eventually and Peter Jr. falls into depression, leading to tragedy and a later confab with God that once again underscores Sussman’s blurry metaphysics.

The play is certainly well-intentioned and even has effective passages, usually when Lawrence easily reveals Peter’s gentleness. But it’s also slowed by cliches, especially in the roles that are too familiar to be fresh. God, for instance, may be humanized by smoking cigarettes and cracking wise like a regular Joe, but it’s a ploy that’s been used by playwrights many times before.

As for the acting, it’s pretty good under Tom Hardy’s relaxed direction. Lawrence and McElenney are the most persuasive, but the rest of the cast also does what it can with the material.

SHOW TIMES

“Grasmere,” Arena Theatre, Cal State Fullerton Performing Arts Center, 800 N. State College Blvd. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. Through Sunday. $6 and $8. (714) 278-3371.

“For Pete’s Sake,” The Chance Theater, 5576 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim Hills. Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Through April 8. $13 to $15. (714) 777-3033.