Review: DESIGN FOR LIVING at Odyssey Theatre

Design for Living is a stylish, escapist, classic sex comedy by Noel Coward at the Odyssey Theatre through August 25th. A glamorous, pansexual, queer 1930s romp through the world of artists, playwrights, interior decorators, and their lovers, it was an instant hit with the sold-out audience on the afternoon I attended, who loved every minute of it.

In Design for Living, a neurotic, bohemian interior designer Gilda (Brooke Bundy) falls in and out of bed with playwright Leo (Kyle T. Hester) and painter Otto (Garikayi Mutambirwa), both chasing her — and each other.

The trio is charismatic, attractive, and witty on stage, luring us into their longings, jealousies, and betrayals.  Here the most keen and pulsing part of this throuple is the erotic relationship between Otto and Leo, who may be using the Gilda as a bit of a proxy for claiming and tasting their feelings for each other.  Design for Living reminds me of the glorious Alfonso Cuarón 2001 film Y tu mamá también and the darkly brilliant Paul Schrader 2002 film Auto Focus.  The queer attraction and coming out story of Design for Living works vibrantly as directed by Bart DeLorenzo.  This is sexy, scandalous fun.

This 1932 Noel Coward escapade originally faced censorship and its production at the Odyssey Theatre mingles the period setting with a chic, languid, erotic, contemporary mood.  Although this is not my favorite Noel Coward play, Design for Living is exquisitely produced by Beth Hogan and feels very au courant and delightfully funny, in a naughty, sophisticated vein.  Noel Coward’s effervescent, astute wit sparkles brightly on the stage.

I adore Noel Coward as a writer, and I am always thrilled at the opportunity to see his work performed live, especially at someplace truly extraordinary like the Odyssey Theatre.  Noel Coward’s dialogue is an esoteric stylistic challenge, especially for those not native to the UK.  Coward’s rhythms are blissfully idiosyncratic and removed from everyday life, somewhere in a frolicking, hyper-articulate Neverland between a Dorothy Parker poem, a Jeeves and Wooster comedy, and an Oscar Wilde monologue.  Director Bart DeLorenzo thankfully does not inflict faux English accents on us.  Leaving the actors with their native accents adds a feeling of contemporary groundedness and enhanced realism, a strong hallmark of this production.  But sometimes perhaps we are missing a bit of that suave, sophisticated play speech, that cruel wit and flippant, endless boredom, that comes with a certain kind of haute English pose.  Noel Coward grew up on stage as a child actor, in a family struggling with poverty, where one of his early childhood talents was his crafty stealing.  He described himself as “a brazen, odious little prodigy”.  But after Coward began to immerse himself in the upper-class milieu as a teen, thanks to his relationship with an older male artist, perhaps no one captures quite as well Coward the country house swagger and devil-may-care elan of this set.

Instead of upper-class frippery, which I may occasionally be pining for in this production, director Bart DeLorenzo goes for more present-day naturalism, and leans into the background of these three artist lovers, first struggling and then encountering the rather mixed fruits of their success.  Success is that elusive thing we are always chasing until we have it — and then what?   How success changes us and those around us is a richly textured second theme here, and reminds me a bit of that deeply rewarding indie treasure that I love to revisit, the Nicole Holofcener 2006 film Friends with Money.  Frankly, nothing feels more deeply Los Angeles than this.  Something quite bittersweet and poignant and subtle emerges here in this lighthearted erotic romp, that clearly resonates with the audience.

The brilliant Andrew Elvis Miller steals the show in his role as stuffed shirt, art dealer Ernest, and does some absolutely virtuosic line delivery and physical comedy.  Sheelagh Cullen is a treasure.  She brings wild, genius hilarity to her simple lines as Leo’s disapproving maid Miss Hodge.  Cullen is such a ferocious talent that even her trademark, distinctive steps became part of the comedy, inducing roars of laughter and applause from the audience.  There are two gem comedic performances in the third act from Max Pescherine and Shireen Heidari as a bored, New York high society couple.  I am always impressed when I see actors who can create an entire character arc out of just a handful of lines and work comic wonders with them, and Pescherine and Heidari are both a delight, compelling, hilarious and truthful on stage.

Noel Coward was a provocative playwright unable to weave in more of the truth about his life as a gay man with the dangerous reality of the time - homosexuality remained illegal in England until 1967.  In Bart DeLorenzo’s contemporary take on Design for Living, bringing the queer love story out of the closet, I wonder if the production might be stronger if it ended on that funny, sexy, absolutely powerhouse second act where Leo and Otto unite.

At the end of the third act, I am left wondering why Gilda would abandon her career, her marriage, and her financial success to be the rickety third wheel of a passionate relationship.  Was this ending an enforced bit of heterosexual pandering for Coward, or does it hold some actual resonance for the characters?  Gilda can come across at times as a bit of a fun-loving beard, who is an awfully good sport, but it is hard for me to locate the essence of her experience beyond the obvious pansexual feasting.  I applaud the brilliant, dynamic, hilarious and versatile actor Garikayi Mutambirwa as Otto for bringing real sexual heat and profound, complex hunger to his relationship with Gilda.

Art direction at the Odyssey leans toward the stunning, immersive, and simple, reflecting the elevated taste of producer Beth Hogan and the powerhouse creative team at the Odyssey with creative director Ron Sossi.  Design for Living is fascinating to look at, from the stylish, edgy, bohemian artist’s loft in Paris where we start to the glamorous NYC penthouse where we end up, gorgeously crafted by scenic designer Frederica Nascimento.  Costumes by Denise Blasor shine more on men here than women, with some very craveable menswear, all two-toned Oxfords, persimmon shirts, and delicious crimson winter coats.  But I would love to see more of the coolly elegant evening gowns and glamorous, sensual house peignoirs of the era for Gilda.  Gilda is trapped on stage for much of the play in some rather basic, sad little slips, which feels like a missed opportunity, perhaps trying to evoke Tennessee William’s iconic character Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.  The music is resonant and thrillingly moody and sexy, with vibrant, excellent sound design by John Zalewski.  Mostly, the period work here is quite subtle and leaning into the contemporary, which serves the chic atmosphere of the production very well.

I have seen so many great productions at the Odyssey recently, including the haunting Stalin’s Master Class directed with genius by Ron Sossi, which remains powerfully with me.  As I mentioned in my review for Stalin’s Master Class, the Odyssey Theatre is absolutely a cultural treasure, distinguishing itself in the Los Angeles theatre scene with provocative, avant-garde, untamed, wildly entertaining new and classic productions.  Powerhouse producer Beth Hogan brings an exquisite, elevated sense of tone and texture and detail to everything she touches, a great intelligence and artistic aliveness infusing her work. 

At the garden afterparty for Design for Living, I talked with audience members who have been patrons and donors of the Odyssey Theatre longer than my lifetime.  That is the kind of fierce loyalty and love that the Odyssey impressively creates with the community.  Soon I am looking forward to seeing Tom Alper’s The Pitch here.

I find the Odyssey Theatre to be one of the most exciting places in Los Angeles.

Photos by Cooper Bates

Design for Living runs at the Odyssey through August 25th.  The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. Los Angeles CA 90025.  There is free parking on site at the theatre.  You can get tickets by calling (310) 477-2055 ext. 2 or by clicking the button below:

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