SEE YOU AT THE PLAY


Have a laugh at Bradbury's pub

The prolific Ray Bradbury recently received a special citation Pulitzer for his decades as an "unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy." But you'll find no endangered Martians or evil carnies in "Falling Upward," Bradbury's "comedic Irish fable," now playing at Theatre West. Inspired by the months Bradbury spent in Ireland collaborating with John Huston on the 1956 film "Moby Dick," the play, produced by Theatre West in 2001, is a fond and comical look at Ireland as filtered through the microcosm of a rural Irish pub.

And what a pub! The boozy regulars at Heeber Finn's view this watering hole as their second home, for obvious reasons. Jeff Rack's set design, based on the 2001 design by Daniel Keough and Joseph A. Altadonna, is so cozy and welcoming that we want to jump onstage, belly up to the bar and order a pint. Indeed, alcohol figures prominently. When Garrity (Pat Harrington), the piece's narrator, ponders the meaning of life, he concludes, "There's booze and food. . . and you can forget the food."

Heeber Finn's is a boys' only club, where no woman ventures and the blarney flows freely on tap, as does the wonderful Irish music — no jukebox required.

Small matter that certain cast members suffer obvious line lapses or that the narrative wanders like a will-o'-the-wisp in a marshy fen. At least three distinct and unrelated story lines, linked only because they happen in and around Heeber's pub, make up this "plot." But the emphasis is on atmosphere, and director Tim Byron Owen evokes this particular time and place with an attention to detail as loving as it is rigorous.

Among the large and able cast, James Horan is particularly effective as an itinerant Brit whose exotic entourage discombobulates the local menfolk, while Mik Scriba is a fittingly towering Heeber who could eject the most obstreperous customer with a flick of a meaty paw. If you long for Ireland but can't get there, a bracing visit to Heeber's may satisfy your craving.

— F. Kathleen Foley


"Falling Upward," 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. W., Los Angeles. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Ends Sept. 16. $20-$25. (323) 851-7977. theatrewest.org. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.


TAKE CARE
PATRICK

Thanks!

Yes, it was a very nice review. I've been very pleased with the critical response, and just wish I could exploit it with a longer run. But, alas, we close Sunday.

Ray's coming again tonight, so, along with the great reviews we've received this week, it should be a very enthusiastic show.

quote:

Ray's coming again tonight, so, along with the great reviews we've received this week, it should be a very enthusiastic show.

Charlie: The play just gets better the second time around. I'll be there Sunday for a third helping.

I think that this play should be filmed for a PBS fundraiser, on a National level.

quote:

Originally posted by FH 451:
SEE YOU AT THE PLAY

Good to see you tonight. Sorry I couldn't stick around to chat. I took my daughter home so my wife could see the Second Act.

Good crowd tonight. Hope you enjoyed it!

Hey Charlie,

My wife and I loved it. Thanks! Great cast.


Take Care
Patrick

quote:

Originally posted by FH 451:
Hey Charlie,

My wife and I loved it. Thanks! Great cast.


Take Care
Patrick

Patrick,

Bookends: Ray on Friday and Sunday with you on Saturday.