THIEVES

Since I was little, it was a badly-kept secret that I was my mother’s favorite child. She found such joy in my crazy shenanigans. (My great-uncle even told her to stop laughing at everything I did. Thank goodness she didn’t listen to him!) She would have never articulated my “favorite” status aloud back then, but all her friends have always apprised me of the fact. (And she put it in a letter to a pal, which my nosy sister read, so that was not fun…for anyone.) And in her later years, she actually stated it to anyone who would listen. Yet I never understood why my sister and brother hated me so much, until I saw this show. Thieves really broke down the sibling-parent dynamic for me. But these characters are even worse than my family, if that’s even possible.

Addie Johnson and Chris Bellant. (And these characters are the only two non-family members! So can you just imagine the volatility of the others?) Photo by Ryan Miller.

I actually have nothing bad to say about this World Premiere production, which is a collaboration among three theatre companies: Rising Phoenix Repertory, Weathervane Productions, and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. (That’s a first for me, right?) It was pretty good, especially for smaller theater show.It definitely held my attention for the duration, and contained some really good lines. I feel that all audiences will nod with understanding.

Thieves, which depicts an uber-dysfunctional family in East Texas, was very well-written by Charlotte Miller, a Texas native herself. (But now living in my hometown of Brooklyn! Look at how related we all are!) Possibly touchy subjects, such as incest, pedophilia, homosexuality, alcohol abuse, and abandonment are explored gently. They don’t hit the audience over the head with them. And the staging, by New York director, Daniel Talbott, is spot-on.

But I especially admired the casting. I believe the roles was written specifically for each cast member, so that may be why they all performed them so well. There was not a weakness among the sextet of mainly New York actors.

I can see this play being made into a film. I actually began casting it in my head as I was watching it! (No offense to this cast, at all; I just know how movie studios work. The company that buys the play will insist on stars. Unless it’s made independently, which is always a possibility.)

But I don’t even know if that is this theatre company’s goal. I may just be getting carried away with it. So, let me get back to the play.

The entire cast of Thieves. Photo by Ryan Miller.

This was perhaps the best set I’ve ever seen in a little theatre! The creativity of Scenic Designer, Deb O, made us feel exactly what the scene was. But I have to warn you–don’t wear good shoes, or white attire, or actually any kind of good clothing, especially if you’re planning to set in the front couple of rows. I advise sitting in the back, and not on an aisle back there. Trust me on this one—your hair and wardrobe will thank me later.

The weird thing is that I hate getting dirty, seeing anything broken, cigarette smoke, witnessing fighting/yelling, wasting food–and this one has all that! But I was so into the action that I didn’t let most of it bother me. I think that was because the actors were just really going for it.

Okay, one of those items did bother me. A lot. And I feel I have to give you a big warning about it, as I wish someone had me. There are several cigarettes smoked, which is horrible in a confined space such as this, even if I didn’t have life-threatening asthma. I inquired after the fact, and was told they were herbal, (as opposed to tobacco,) but they still bothered my sensitive lungs. It was really hard to be in such a small theater, breathing-in at least five of them over the course of the hour and a half. So, if you’re similarly afflicted, consider yourself warned.

Other than that, it’s all good. If you’re in Los Angeles, I recommend seeing Thieves. Just don’t do so with your relatives. Especially if they’re visiting from Texas!

Part of the buffet. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Since it was opening night, that meant party, especially for this fun-loving troupe! As I correctly predicted way back in December, when I wrote about their wonderful preview soiree, the Thieves opening night fete was pretty cool, too. It was held at the cleverly named Catcher in the Rye Bar in Toluca Lake. (I’m a bit sad that they took over the space from the always-there Chez Nous on Riverside, but I guess out with the old and in with the new.) The name alone makes it the perfect venue for a literary endeavor such as this one. They did a really nice job of it.

Most of the tables were removed, to give us freer mobility to mingle. And to have room to congratulate all the players! In the middle of the action was a big buffet table of interesting bar fare. There were two kinds of creative beef sliders, mini tacos with either chicken or beef, three kinds of dips with pita triangles and chips, and my favorite–pork belly bites on skewers. Those were, surprisingly for me, yummy!

Being a bar, after all, they created some special “Thieves” cocktails. I don’t drink, but my friend really enjoyed the “Huckleberry Finn,” which they made fresh for each guest. She said they crushed the blueberries right in the glass, and then added gin, lime, mint, and soda, and voila! Everyone was happy.

The whole evening was fun and enjoyable because it was a creative group of people. It felt kind of like a New York theatre event to me. And I thank this company for giving me a sense memory of my home, on so many levels.

Thieves running through April 4, 2015
Monroe Forum Theatre at the El Portal 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood 818-508-4200 www.elportaltheatre.com