A Satisfying ‘Night’ Journey

“A Night in November” is one to remember, thanks to a superb multi-character performance by Marty Maguire and a razor-sharp script by Marie Jones.

The same qualities that brought such sparkle to Jones’ hit “Stones in His Pockets”--her skillful rendering of the colorful speech of the Irish and the telling everyday details that illuminate their lives--are equally evident in this lesser-known piece, which makes its L.A. debut at the Celtic Arts Center.

Both shows feature performers in multiple roles. But where “Stones” employed two actors to weave the intricate interlocking stories of an entire local population, “A Night in November” is centrally focused on one character: Kenneth McCallister, a Northern Irish Protestant and petty welfare office bureaucrat.

All his life, Kenneth has remained dutifully obedient to his cultural heritage. He even thinks of himself as English, having no affinity with--much less compassion for--the needy Irish Catholics who appear before him seeking government assistance.

All that changes during a local soccer match against a team from the southern Irish Republic. Kenneth is revolted by the abusive behavior of his compatriots. Recognizing the bigotry around and inside him sets Kenneth on an odyssey of self-discovery that undermines the foundations of his unexamined existence. An especially poignant insight comes when Kenneth offers a ride home to the Catholic boss he’s always despised, only to find himself envying the spontaneous disorder of the other’s home life.

Like a male version of “Shirley Valentine,” Kenneth finds his dissatisfaction opens him to the possibility of authentic personal fulfillment--and Maguire’s portrayal of this transformation is never short of riveting. In Tim Byron Owen’s deft, no-frills staging, switching between characters--sometimes in mid-sentence--is seamless and thoroughly believable. Some consideration should be given to running time, however--a needlessly extended intermission and some redundancy in the text push the boundaries for a solo performance, no matter how accomplished.

Nevertheless, the narrative arc of this extraordinary piece is more dramatically satisfying than the flashier “Stones” and carries deeper universal resonance. Kenneth’s hilarious breakout act of self-definition--coinciding with the sadly partial moment of national unity in Ireland’s 1994 World Cup victory--is a moving testament to the hopes and heartbreaks facing divided peoples everywhere.

Philip Brandes

“A Night in November,” Celtic Arts Center, 4843 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Los Angeles. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. Ends March 2. $15. (818) 760-8322. Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes.

Tori Spelling Has the Range for ‘Maybe Baby’

Let’s go straight to the big question: Yes, Tori Spelling belongs on a stage. She brings solid comic instinct, a nice flair for characterization and a lot of exuberance to her limited engagement--and professional stage debut--in the sketch comedy show “Maybe Baby, It’s You,” at the Coronet Theatre.

If the “Beverly Hills, 90210” alumna doesn’t yet match the flexibility of Charlie Shanian in this two-person waltz through relationships, it’s due, at least in part, to his having had more time to achieve it. He co-created the show and has been performing it for months off-Broadway, on tour and in Los Angeles. Spelling replaces co-creator Shari Simpson, who has returned home to New York.

“Maybe Baby” will never be accused of profundity, yet as it navigates the landmines of dating in its first half, the sinkholes of commitment in its second, it prompts laughs of recognition.

In one memorable sketch, Spelling portrays Medea on a blind date with a super-sensitive modern man. “Oh, what misery,” the famously wronged woman wails offstage as she prepares to reenter the dating scene. Still declaiming to the skies, like Sarah Bernhardt on steroids, she swaggers in, ready to take on the world. Will Shanian’s patient, polite guy--who quotes relationship advice he’s heard on “Oprah”--prove to be any match for her?

Later, Spelling gets to show more range as a wife who turns an anniversary dinner into a test of her husband’s love. The woman wants a passionate, public avowal of feeling, and when her hubby doesn’t deliver, her eyes turn glassy with hurt. Making a last-ditch effort, she launches into song. Comically off-pitch but touchingly expressive, she personifies love’s dizzy derangement.

Daryl H. Miller

“Maybe Baby, It’s You,” Upstairs at the Coronet, 368 N. La Cienega Blvd., L.A. Wednesdays-Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 p.m. Spelling is scheduled through March 23. $45. (310) 657-7377 or (213) 365-3500. Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes.

‘WASP’ a Funny, Dark Exploration of Family

An absurdist plunge into family dysfunction, 1950s-style, Steve Martin’s “WASP” at the Sidewalk Studio Theatre plays a bit like an episode of “Leave It to Beaver” filmed in an alternate universe. The familiar period archetypes are all present and accounted for. There’s Dad (David Jay Barry), a pipe-smoking, cardigan-clad sage; Mom (Sally Monroe), perky in hose and pearls; Sis (Staci Lawrence), gushy and nubile; and Son (Scott Vinci), clean-cut and curious.

But this Mom is a fragile basket case who chats with an omniscient Female Voice (Sue Ulu), while Son gets regular visits from a space alien (John Schaffer). Family interactions are skewed, to say the least. As she goes dashing out the door, Sis blithely states, “I’m off to choir molestation.” And when Son muses about his future, Dad “reassures” him, “No matter what in life you choose to do, I will be there to shame you.”

Deft and incongruous, the play yields plenty of laughter but has a serious point to make about the dark side of the American family. If the characters chatter circuitously, that’s fitting, given their wrenching emotional disconnection. Isolated occupants of this family Babel, they speak no common language, share no psychic connection.

Disappointingly, Martin’s quicksilver material often exceeds the grasp of Kris Edlund’s staging. Edlund has stylistic flair and a feel for the period, but she doesn’t always nail down the laughs hidden in this tricky dialogue. Ulu and Schaffer, in particular, fail to muster the comedic agility required in their vital lesser roles.

F. Kathleen Foley

*

“WASP,” Sidewalk Studio Theatre, 4150 Riverside Drive, Burbank. Fridays-Saturdays, 8:30 p.m. Ends March 2. $12. (818) 846-3403. Running time: 1 hour.