Counter Men Premieres @ Whitefire

Counter Men
A Play with Music
by Chuck Faerber
directed by Richard Kuhlman
Whitefire Theatre
through August 27

Chuck Faerber's world premiere Counter Men, now onstage at the Whitefire Theatre, is peculiarly intriguing with a 14-character cast and just about as many plotlines. On the plus side, it's entertaining - to a point - with a mostly wonderful ensemble. On the negative side, its big picture gets bogged down by too many unnecessary stories. It can work in a soap on TV, but not on a tiny stage.The setting? The rump section of a diner-like restaurant in Glendale - great realistic set design by Davis Campbell - where an odd assortment of men hang out daily: an actor, a screenwriter, and a musician are among the brood. This is a suburb of Hollywood, after all, so it's not unusual for show biz folks to find a second home where they can dish the dirt, kind of like Dupars in Studio City. There are a couple of waitresses who know the men quite well, so, for the most part, what we see is a big extended family, except of course, for those making quick entrances/exits to and from the restroom, one of whom is branded a terrorist. A couple of the men are vets and have conflicting opinions with the younger guys about the war in Iraq. Mackie (Paul Haitkin) has a macho streak and brags about picking up women and videotaping his sexual trysts with them. Carl (Bart Braverman) has some serious issues with cancer. Joyelle (Marion Ramsey), the older and motherly waitress, has a son in Iraq and is in a constant state of anxiety for his safety. Ludy (Vanessa Herrera), the younger waitress, with a black eye and bruises on her arms, is clearly having some problems at home. Teo, a homeless filipino musician, who uses one of the booths to sleep in as well as a studio in which to compose, is attracted to Sackie (Naila Browne), a gal from Glendale's Water and Power, but he's timid about taking the first step to meet her. One of Mackie's conquests, Sheila, a real estate tycoon, gives up the business and eventually becomes a nun (Anna Nicholas). The stories go on and on, endlessly.

The most interesting part of this piece is unfortunately its drawback. It is highly cinematic and would make a terrific MOW. However, many of the scenes as staged in the restaurant would play better elsewhere, so they do not work that well in the confines of this small space. Faerber also uses music within the play which is unnecessary in moving the story forward. Most of it, with the exception of Teo's keyboard takes, should be cut entirely, as it detracts from the more serious drama that unfolds throughout. The big picture of life and its ups and downs and how a diversified cross section of people affect one another in unexpected ways is at times engaging, but it all gets to be much too much.

That said, the acting is wonderful. Standouts are Ramsey as Joyelle, so utterly gutwrenching; Braverman as the jaded screenwriter; Haitkin as the disgusting jackass Mackie, who has a surprising and most welcomed turnaround. Herrera is delightfully funny and touching as Ludy. Nicholas, who provides the play's one golden rule for cultivating one's interior garden, is unforgettable, as is Shelly Kurtz, so amusing as Tim, whose jokes on the surface seem to have nothing to do with the plot, yet sum it all up in a fun and tidy way. Praise as well to Dave Kirkpatrick, Alan Woolf, Michael Uribes, and Carol Soldo as an elderly lady with quite an unusually whimsical side of her personality to share.

It is difficult not to like Counter Men in some way. Many of the stories are moving, and the actors make us really care for the characrers they're playing. Now it's up to Faerber to make some changes. The monologues he gives his characters to speak are quite riveting, as well as much of the dialogue, but some filtering is in order. Opting to film this piece seems a wiser choice...and for God's sake, get rid of the music!

 

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