'Distracted' Has Strong Message

Upon first entering the Mark Taper Forum, distraction ensues with three large television screens barraging the theatre with television clips ranging from CNN to the "Price is Right," all hoping to establish the overwhelming drowning feeling created in a world full of immediate and all too accessible information coming from anywhere and everywhere.

Thankfully, Lisa Loomer's play, Distracted, which is making its world premiere on the Los Angeles stage, avoids distracting audiences with the production, though there are moments when one too many subjects is tackled by the playwright, yet under the direction of Leonard Foglia and with superb performances, the show is quite focused.

It has been a season or two since the Taper delivered a thought-provoking work that has lived up to the theatre's motto of providing a place for development of new plays and voices that should be important to the world of drama.  Loomer's voice is certainly heard in this drama, as are her views on the current Iraq war, which gets a few biting quips through the show's characters.

In Distracted, both sides of the argument on Attention Deficit Disorder and medicating affected children is presented, with a conflicted Mama (Rita Wilson) grappling with the diagnosis of her son, Jesse (Hudson Thames), while battling with her strong-willed husband (Ray Porter) who is adamantly against using his child as a guinea pig for the narcotics industry.  Along the distressing path to understanding this seemingly over diagnosed condition, though that fact is left up to the audience to fully determine, a few whacky doctors are consulted, all amusingly created by Bronson Pinchot, and a couple nosy neighbors (Johanna Day and Marita Geraghty) find a way to cast more doubt than anything else for the struggling family.

Loomer has successfully placed the controversial situation in a well-balanced light, lending creed to both sides of the medication argument.  As Mama represents what is hopefully the majority of concerned parents only hoping to ultimately do good for their children, Dad is that stalwart character who nearly comes to the dreaded D-word (divorce) after his wife succumbs to trying a cocktail of drugs on Jesse.  Pinchot, while mostly portraying the establishment that succeeds in propagating the narcotics argument, at one point breaks "character" by speaking directly to the audience under the guise of an actor merely playing these roles, professing that if it were not for his own prescriptions for ADHD, he would be unable to memorize the play's lines.

There is much in the way of breaking down the fourth wall throughout Distracted, with Wilson constantly addressing the audience with commentary on the structure of the show at hand, stating near the beginning that she once considered doing the play as a one-woman vehicle.  Though there are moments of one-woman show-type vibes, the strength of Distracted comes from the actors as a whole.

Wilson (Chicago) commands the stage, eliciting compassion for Mama's predicament, shedding light on concerns many parents must struggle with.  Perhaps more known for her screen roles, Wilson is brilliant at creating a complex stage character, and her emotional state rises and falls with an exquisite touch as the play progresses.

As the Dad, Porter is both brash and understandable all at once, proving that there is no obvious decision, nor even an appropriate one, in the predicament faced with Jesse.  Day is a bright light in the darker moments of Distracted, putting a comic spin in a housewife afflicted with numerous conditions of her own.  Along with Geraghty and Stephanie Berry, these three supporting actors keep things light but grounded, each contributing their own sides to the argument.  Emma Hunton also makes a potent turn as Natalie, the neighborhood babysitter prone to cutting and depression.

A pure scene-stealer, Pinchot (Putting it Together) is a comedic force to be reckoned with.  His quirky personality and gaudy foreign accents constantly amuse as he jumps from one doctor's coat to the next.  And when he is staring the audience down with his out of character blurts, it is difficult to discern how true to life he just might be acting.  Another equal in terms of stealing the spotlight is Thames, who is kept back stage delivering his lines over the PA until the final poignant moments of the show.

Elaine McCarthy's set and projection design is the essence of Distracted, pumping more visuals than can be easily comprehended onto the stage.  The explosive scene changes are marked by her almost comic book like captions, along with screeching voiceovers by a child's voice.  These startling moments strike a chord of frustration, which is the intended reaction, as a child with ADHD must constantly feel.

With costumes by Robert Blackman, lighting by Russell Champa and Jon Gottlieb's sound design, Distracted is a show worth seeing and talked about later.

Distracted continues through April 29 at the Mark Taper Forum, located at 135 N. Grand Avenue in Los Angeles at the Music Center.  Tickets range from $42 to $55 and can be purchased at the box office, on-line at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org, or by calling 213-628-2772.

Photos by Craig Schwartz.  (Top) Rita Wilson; (Middle) Bronson Pinchot; (Bottom) Marita Geraghty and Johanna Day.

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