ARE YOU LISTENING - Actors Co-op Theatre Company

Reviewed by Amanda Callas

Are You Listening is the premiere of a new autobiographical play at the Actors Co-op in Hollywood.   This Co-op Too! limited run production is a creative play-space for actors and writers at the Co-op to develop new works. The writing by Mary Leeholland leaves much to be desired, although most performances are excellent, reflecting the high level of craft at The Actors Co-op.   I have seen many superb, thought-provoking, gorgeously produced shows here that I loved in the last year, from Tornado to Lewis and Tolkien to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Are You Listening is a rare deviation from this award-winning theatre company, a play that has the soul of an Instagram post.

Are You Listening is in love with its main character of Ruth to a fault, not helped by the fact that Ruth is played by Mary Leeholland, who wrote the play, stars in it, co-directs it, and created the story based on her real life experiences moving from a small Southern town to Los Angeles to be an actress. The bright, unclouded egotism in this play is so total that it threatens to eclipse the sun.

Here is Ruth, holding a single cupcake, sadly singing Happy Birthday alone in her LA apartment; this could have been hilarious or cringeworthy or genuinely touching (who in Los Angeles has not experienced some species of loneliness?), but it is played here with pathos and a full spoon of self pity that is hard to swallow.  

Ruth's life seems pretty charmed as she has no responsibilities, no real problems, and nothing to do other than surf on her phone, torture her loving mother, travel around the world to "pursue her dreams"and work at a  job she got from connections from home. If we could all be so lucky.

Main character Ruth often seems foggy and indistinct, like someone who has been staring so hard in the mirror for so long that the image becomes blurry. We know Ruth talks to God and her faith is important to her, but her faith remains like a quote seen on a bookmark, without any real exploration, conflict, or depth.  

Lack of curiosity, specificity, and structure in the writing makes the play feel like a revolving carousel of Instagram stories. After 90 minutes of self indulgence, I still do not know the answer to basic questions. Why does Ruth loathe her home town and family in Mississippi?   What is Ruth really looking for is Los Angeles (other than fame and self-affirmation)?   Who are any of these people beyond the shallow object-like function they serve in Ruth's story?   Ruth's mother, played with tender realism and heart by Toni Deaver, does not feel like a real person in the writing, but like the caricature of a Southern mother who is supposed to be annoying. No one from Mississippi in the play speaks with an accent except the mother. Her mother and Ruth are supposed to be devastated by the death of her father, but at no point does Mary Leeholland seem like someone grieving the gut-punch loss of a parent.

In real life, Mary Leeholland grew up on a catfish farm in the Mississippi Delta with half a dozen siblings, which is so colorful it feels like a great start for a novel.   But here on stage at the Actors Co Op, we are handed a series of vignettes in soft-focus abstractions, nothing that feels like the full flesh, thorniness, and weirdness of real life.

The Hollywood agents, casting people and directors, feel like cartoonish caricatures, without any shades other than "shark" or "idiot."  Jessica Woehler, a vibrant, gifted actress who I absolutely loved in Twelfth Night, manages to imbue her slight agent character with a strength, intelligence, and vivid realism that is quite richly compelling.

The moments where the play lurches to life are the romantic ones, which makes me feel like lurking somewhere in this mess is an excellent romantic comedy.   The awkward catch up over beers with Ruth's friend from home, Dalton, is mesmerizing.   Freedom is absolute perfection in this role, with a kind of reserved, rakish country boy charm and that impossibly deep, midnight-velvet voice.   The love story between Ruth and Jason, played with impeccable charm and heart-melting warmth by Daniel Kim, is offbeat, adorable, and tender.   Although no one else seems to realize it, this is the heart of the play.   Whatever works in Are You Listening is due to Daniel Kim's riveting treasure box of a performance, and the depth and beauty of the real-life character he is portraying.

Co-director Chloe Babbes was a powerhouse in Twelfth Night, and here, she is the producer, the lighting design, sound design, set design, and set construction (with Kevin Brown). It is a truly impressive feat, and you could only wish that it was going towards a more fruitful, interesting project. At some point in Are You Listening, Ruth confesses her fear that she is "both too much and not enough."   There is no better way to sum up this play.

Are You Listening runs through August 25th.  Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:30pm.  Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission.  Adults $15. Seniors (60+) $10. Students and Veterans w/ID: $10. Group rates and special offers available. Free lot parking available on site. Tickets: www.ActorsCo-op.org or (323) 462-8460. The David Schall Theater, 1760 N. Gower St., on the campus of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, Hollywood CA 90028.