ACHILLES IN ARCADIA

I had an interesting time seeing this new play in Los Feliz last week-end, but none of it had to do with the script, direction, or acting in Achilles in Arcadia, which are all pretty weak.

The good time was due to the best, most authentic, most perfect set I’ve ever seen, the “Joe sent me” vibe of the theatre, (which was a new one for me,) the complimentary fortune cookies on the way in, and the happening ’hood. And, at such a low ticket price, seeing live theatre is always a positive, especially if it’s your first time.

So let’s begin with those positives. I have to elaborate on the Joyce Hutter-designed set first, while also explaining the location. The Skylight Theatre is on hip and happening N. Vermont Avenue, at the very back of a secret alleyway. The entrance is between two eateries, which both look inviting, perhaps to be explored on my next visit. So, when the box office worker pointed us toward the theater itself, and we noticed that the door was leading to a stereotypical Chinese restaurant, we thought we had walked into yet a third restaurant, by mistake. But when we turned our heads to the right, there were the audience seats! So it finally dawned on us that the eatery was…the set! It is absolutely spot-on. My friend Marc and I wanted to sit right down at a table and order some fried rice!

That being said, there is absolutely no reason for this setting. It does take place in Arcadia, (the population of which I’ve been told is over half Asian,) and Achilles in Arcadia is about a biracial family, (Chinese mom, Caucasian father,) but they never mention owning the restaurant, nor any other reason for hanging out in it. (The quartet of younger characters is rehearsing to shoot a student film, but that could be done anywhere.) So, the purpose for the set should be established from the get-go. (Or at least ever!)

Achilles in Arcadia, written by Chris Collins, is about a dysfunctional family. (Aren’t all plays these days?) At one point, one of the characters says, “…so I can escape family bullshit!,” which most of us can identify with to some degree. I think the outline of the scenario was probably good, but the finished product is mostly just mush, and murky at best. Twenty minutes into the ninety-minute play, Marc and I still had no idea what the story was.

And the direction, by Kiff Scholl, in collaboration with the much-less-than-stellar acting, (although an attractive cast,) makes it all worse. (But it does get a bit interesting in the last ten minutes or so, when the actors are finally doing more than just standing there, or walking across the set, delivering their lines.)

There are so many head-scratching parts to the narrative. One example is that, at one point, the father says it’s way too hot in Arcadia, but, as he complains, he keeps his jacket and *dandy scarf on!!! He even opens the door of the establishment to fan himself with the hot air outside, while wrapping said scarf completely around his neck! Crazy. *(I think the scarf hanging down the sides of his jacket is supposed to indicate that the character is an actor. If so, that’s sort-of insulting to actors.)

And here’s yet another bit of strangeness: All three males have either a visible limp or a cane! Or both! The father has an excuse, but we didn’t hear a mention of why the son is limping until a long time into the action, when I believe they say he got injured in Afghanistan. But why? It has absolutely nothing to do with anything! Why is a war even mentioned? It’s not a part of the story! (They both affect good limps, though; they never missed when I saw it.)

And the war buddy holds and twirls a cane the entire time for less than zero reason—trying to figure all of that out is so distracting. And why was that pal, who had been in a war and then back here for a while, (which means he was in at least his twenties,) going after a high school girl? Especially one who is his bestie’s younger sister?!

I saw Achilles in Arcadia on the second weekend of its run, but every actor seemed like it was the first rehearsal after they got off book, (which means the first full run-through without holding the scripts,) as opposed to their fourth or fifth performance. And the entire cast stopped…at…every…single…period! Nobody talks like that! It’s maddening!

Only one of the sextet, Gloria Tsai, embodied his or her character well; in Gloria’s case, it’s the hated Aunt Amy. And Yulia Belyaeva, as the teenage sister, Rose, is so adorable that I feel that she’ll work a lot. The other girl, Devyn Kohl, is pretty, and a young hottie, so she probably will, as well.

But the performances of all three males are lacking. Timothy Willard, as the Caucasian war buddy, doesn’t seem to know why he’s there, (nor did we!,) and Krit McLean as George, the main dude, just angrily huffs and puffs through most of it, without conveying any subtext. But I actually thought that Jeff LeBeau, who plays the father, was an understudy who had taken over just that day because he needs at least another month worth of work to get it together.

I really hate saying all that, but I always have to be honest.

However, the area is so interesting that I really didn’t mind being confused for that hour and a half. Marc and I had a good time, in general. Vermont Ave. has so many hip places to eat/snack. Several years ago, a friend asked me to create a “food adventure” for us, choosing some part of town that we had rarely ever gone to. I somehow picked Los Feliz, which I knew little about, and we stopped into at least a handful of eateries, sampling just one item at each. It was brilliant, if I do say so myself. And tons of fun.

So, before Marc and I saw Achilles in Arcadia that night, we stopped into the iconic House of Pies for…a piece of pie! What else?! We chose Bavarian Chocolate Banana and…it was just okay. But I loved doing it. And then, because we arrived at the show early, we backtracked to the corner, for tiny-but-delish $3 tacos.

So, for a complete evening, I suggest you get the tacos first, then see the *super-affordable, visually entertaining, and only ninety-minute play, and end the evening with the pie. And don’t forget to grab a fortune cookie when you check-in to the theatre! *(And if you do go see the show, here’s the code for a 20% discount on the already reasonable ticket price: FAMILY20.)

Achilles in Arcadia running through September 21, 2025
Skylight Theatre
1816 N. Vermont Avenue, Hollywood
(213) 761-7061 www.achillesinarcadia.com