Reviewed by Amalisha HuEck
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
It’s fascinating how British playwright, screenwriter, director, actor, and Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter captures all the facets of the human spirit in his plays. He is particularly great at portraying intellectual, high-class society and its way of living. All the meaningful pauses, gestures and the way of expression are so profoundly expressed in this production. Communicating a feeling of characters’ thoughts and feelings is understatement.
As we enter the theatre space, the party is already at full speed. The ladies are obviously gossiping and giggling, while some men are discussing the political situation. The classy, elegant and mostly wooden furniture, with comfy leather sofa and beautiful Persian carpet, sets the tone for their living room. As the play goes on, sounds of a helicopter and gunfire can be heard, indicating what is going on outside. The affluent guests at this chic London gathering are played by John Coady (Jimmy), Larry Eisenberg (Gavin), Michelle Ghatan (Dusty), Brenda James (Charlotte), Isaac W. Jay (Fred), Paul Marius (Terry), Michelle McGregor (Liz), Christopher Louis Parker (Douglas), and Mouchette Van Helsdingen (Melissa). What fantastic talent and great portrayal of characters all around!
After the intermission, we transfer into the lives of two individuals, a married couple, whose lives are, it seems, being fulfilled by having other lovers. One is not sure if they are just playing a game… or is it a real thing? A beautiful Susan Priver portrays Sarah and Ron Bottitta is Richard. Beautifully done!
This visiting production of Sex, Lies and Harold Pinter at the Odyssey Theatre is fun, provocative and slightly mysterious. The two one-act plays, ‘Party Time’ (1991) and ‘The Lover’ (1963), are presented together, giving us the picture of how classy society spends their days.
Harold Pinter (1930-2008), was the author of 29 plays and 15 dramatic sketches,. Inspired by Samuel Beckett, Pinter was one of the most influential and poetic dramatists of his generation. He created his own distinctive style, which is marked by effective communication style – free of unnecessary words. His plays are particularly famous for their use of movement to convey characters’ thoughts and feelings.
The creatives are scenic designer Joel Daavid, lighting designer Gavan Wyrick, sound designer Christopher Moscatiello, costume designer Shon LeBlanc and properties designer Alejandra Sofia Gonzalez. The stage manager is Valeria Ruuva.
I cannot express enough how much I enjoyed every movement, gesture, facial expression and the golden silences, where in fact – so much has been said.
Produced by Brian Foyster and Christina Hart, and skillfully directed by Jack Heller, “Sex, Lies and Harold Pinter” continues through April 26 at the Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles, with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Run time is approximately one hour and 45 minutes, including 10 minutes intermission. Tickets are $35. For tickets and information, call the box office at 310-477-2055 or visit OdysseyTheatre.com