‘Go True West’ Is a Mishmash of Fun

To call a play “indescribable” violates a primary mandate of theatrical criticism. After all, a critic’s function, besides the obvious role of criticizing, is to describe, to give the reader some sense of the work’s content as well as its worth.

Yet “Go True West,” which recently reopened at the Lillian Theater in Hollywood after receiving two Back Stage West Garland Awards for comedy ensemble and direction, is as close to indescribable as any show you’re likely to see this year.

But here goes: Superimpose an absurdist play on a tai chi lesson, film the whole thing on Super 8, then play back the footage, alternating between a speeded-up blur and super slo-mo.

Still don’t get the picture? Let’s try again. Co-creators Joe Fria and Ben Simonetti (who both star), Antony Sandoval (who directs) and Mami Arizono (who contributes live “music” on kazoos, drums, bells, whistles, tweeters and an accordion) base their show on the first 20 lines of Sam Shepard’s “True West.” Shepard’s lines are repeated throughout the evening, at various speeds, in various dialects, and with wildly varying shades of emotion, from the manic to the morose.

Oh, did we mention that the play also incorporates plenty of pure slapstick, particularly vintage Buster Keaton routines? Keaton’s “Go West” and his early short “The Scarecrow” are prominent in the mix. In fact, the famous dinner scene from “The Scarecrow,” done to a hilarious turn by Fria and Simonetti, rounds out the evening with a comical flourish.

Director Sandoval has worked extensively with world-renowned theater maven Tadashi Suzuki, and that influence is obvious in the gravity-defying, architectural rigor of his staging and in the pure animalistic vitality of his actors’ movements. There is not a moment of imprecision or waste to be found, only streamlined, sleek intention.

As for the actors, Fria and Simonetti display the timing of seasoned vaudevillians and the concentration of Zen masters in a succession of challenging routines, the kind of muscular, purely comical physical business that would have done Keaton proud.

Call it a baffling theatrical mishmash. Call it deconstruction. Or just call it funny. There’s something for everyone, from kids to grizzled academics. And whether or not you derive any great or lasting insight from this production, you are almost certain to find it entertaining. So rather than searching for meaning, accept “Go True West” for what it is--an arcane and wacky exercise in the possibilities of movement.

“Go True West,” Lillian Theater, 1076 N. Lillian Way, Hollywood. Tuesdays only, 8 p.m. Ends April 16. $10. (323) 221-6656. Running time: 50 minutes.