Loose Ends

By Les Spindle

It's easy to see why an acting company would select Michael Weller's 1979 dramedy as a vehicle to showcase its members' talents, as it includes two substantial lead roles and several good supporting parts. But the dated script is only mildly diverting in its portrait of the rise and fall of a promising relationship, set against the backdrop of social changes during the 1970s. A similar concept yielded far more compelling results in Sydney Pollack's 1973 film, The Way We Were, focusing on an earlier era.

On the night reviewed, the entire first scene - a quiet beach rendezvous in Bali - was almost completely drowned out by a loud wall heater until someone finally shut it off. As the play progressed, it became apparent that we hadn't missed anything, as Weller tends to overstate dramatic points in his verbose soap opera. Early on, it becomes clear that this is the story of a constipated romance, chock-full of insecurity and doubt. Should the lovers cohabit? Should they marry? Should they accept jobs in different cities? Should they break up? Should they have children? The audience quickly realizes that this couple is stuck in an emotional quagmire, but it takes the protagonists two and a half hours to reach the same conclusion.

To director John Ruskin's credit, his cast works hard to hold our interest in the face of a meandering narrative that includes too many subplots and minor characters, some of marginal relevance. Kristina Lear excels as the hard-driving career woman Susan, who fights to stand by her man while refusing to compromise her independence and integrity. Robert Gantzos superbly captures the admirable and manipulative sides of Paul's personality. In the climatic scene, these two sensitive actors bring their characters' irreconcilable conflicts to a heart-rending resolution. Nicole Roselle is in top form as Susan's good friend, Selina, who eventually rebels against being approached as a sounding board more than as a person. Bringing effective comic relief to the proceedings are Jonathon Parker Kramer as Paul's sardonic brother and Eddie Jauregui as Susan's flamboyant employer. Likewise, Betsy Douds, as a sexually liberated flower child, and Mikey Myers, as her cloddish husband, offer wry amusement.

The bare-bones staging in this black-box facility uses props and furniture pieces in 1ieu of a set, resulting in some lengthy and cumbersome scene changes that exacerbate the script's choppy quality. The title of Weller's diffuse play has unintentional but very apt connotations.

"Loose Ends" presented by and at the Ruskin Group Theatre, 3000 Airport Dr., Santa Monica. Fri.-Sat. 8 pm, Sun. 2 pm. Nov. 14-Dec. 20 and Jan. 9-31. Dark =Dec. 21-Jan 8. $20. (310) 397-3244