Superior cast causes a commotion in ‘Hurlyburly’

By Charlene Baldridge
SDUN Theater Critic

“The American Dictionary of the English Language” defines the hyphenated word “hurly-burly” as “tumult, bustle, confusion.” David Rabe’s unhyphenated 1984 black comedy, “Hurlyburly,” currently produced by ion theatre company at Diversionary Theatre, is all of that and more.

Set in the Hollywood Hills in the early 1980s, the play’s action, which might be termed “much ado about everything,” concerns four drug- and alcohol-fueled bachelors who live on the fringes of the motion picture industry. Eddie (Fran Gercke), the protagonist, is a cocaine-addicted casting director whose mind is unraveling. Phil (Tom Hall), a terrifyingly violent aspiring actor, is Eddie’s best friend. Artie (Walter Ritter), a screenwriter always close to a deal, proves the most humane scumbag of the lot. He would like to be close to Eddie again, but Phil is in his way. The fourth is the nattily dressed Mickey, Eddie’s casting-agent roommate. Perhaps the least crazed of the lot, he delights in stealing and then discarding Eddie’s current flame, Darlene (Sara Beth Morgan).

All four men use women and drugs as their birthright. For instance, Artie rescues a homeless teen named Donna (Morgan Trant) and after using her for a while, brings her to Eddie and Phil as a gift. She settles in for a bit, and then wisely departs. Bonnie (gorgeous Karson St. John) is a woman of easy virtue whom Eddie calls in to snap Phil out of depression following his divorce. The results are disastrous. Though “Hurlyburly” has been termed misogynistic, the women here are savvy survivors. At the 11th hour Bonnie is an unwitting savior.

Though there are some touching scenes (for instance, the four guys cooing over Phil’s newborn baby), this is not a play for the feint of heart. The dialogue, though terse and spewed, and the thought processes, though skewed and, in Eddie’s case, rife with paranoia, have an odd, wondrous poetry. These guys are losers, endlessly spinning like gerbils in a wheel, but they are fascinating. There’s not a dull moment in the entire three hours. It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

Glenn Paris never flags in meticulous direction of his magnificently cast show. The play is orchestrated like a string quartet. The assembled players act as if they’d played together for many years. The four characters each possesses a unique voice and the actors prove themselves – once again for many viewers – San Diego’s strongest and most riveting.

Endlessly fascinating is the choreography of stage manager Diego San Miguel, who cleans up the mess after each scene. Among the best ever seen at Diversionary, Claudio Raygoza and Matt Scott’s scenic design is sleek, detailed (down to the dust on top of the little television set), fitting and comprehensive without clutter. Add to these the fabulous array of costumes designed by Raygoza and Chris Renda’s lighting design, and you’ve got a theatrical winner.

“Hurlyburly” continues through Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sun., Jan. 24, at Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Blvd., San Diego, $10-$29, www.iontheatre.com or (619) 600-5020.