LET ME IN, OR GET ME OUT?
In writer/director Brynn Thayer‘s Let Me In, now running at the newly and spiffily remodeled Theatre 68 Arts Complex in North Hollywood, actor Jorge Garcia of Lost fame gives a moving, funny, and incredibly nuanced performance as a New York cop on the day of his retirement. Mr. Garcia is an active listener, going beyond simply hearing the words that another actor speaks but also seeking to understand the meaning and intent behind them. It is easily one of the better performances taking place on an L.A. stage right now.
Jorge Garcia, Bryan McKinley, and Rachael Meyers
Based on her own experience having lost a friend in a car accident, Thayer’s three-hander one-act takes place in Joel Daavid’s fully realized, representative, tiny apartment with balcony. The small stage is festooned with detritus from a St. Patrick’s day party — pizza boxes, flags, etc. Locked in the bedroom is Bobby (Bryan McKinley), a groom whose wedding day has been upended by tragedy. His newly deceased bride’s best friend Red (Rachael Meyers) is frantically trying to get him out so they can attend the funeral. Garcia has arrived as Hamilton Steele III to inspect the ado. Thayer navigates the stages of grief and suicide very well. There is empathy, love, and some surprises along the way.
Jorge Garcia and Rachael Meyers
It’s an interesting watch for 90 minutes, given some slow spots, unwieldy staging, and a script packed with enough reveals to fill four weeks of a soap opera (makes sense: Thayer had a long stint on One Life to Live). The neophyte writer injects enough comedy to balance the sad grief and all its calamitous, confusing, confounding processes. The funniest thing was a fourth character, if you will, of an Alexa device voiced by Lizzie Peet (distinctive sound by Joseph “Sloe” Slawinski), but it feels cheap. This is when I thought the one major thing this production needed was Neil Simon, who could create humorous dialogue from characters dealing with tragic circumstances.
Rachael Meyers and Bryan McKinley
As for staging, Meyers is 6’2″ and Garcia is big man, creating an awkwardness that only a larger playing area would fix. While the confines on stage add a heightened sense of claustrophobia and anxiety that New York is famous for, physical humor fell flat. Curiously, when a bunch of toothpicks accidentally fell on the floor, Ms. Meyers frantically swept them under the dishwasher (!) with her foot, while an unintentional spilled beer was handled with Garcia’s comical embarrassment. His performance must be seen.
Given its many issues, there were times Let Me In made me feel like getting out, but enough works here to warrant a visit.
photos by Jeff Lorch
Let Me In
Theatre 68 Arts Complex
5112 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood
Sat at 8; Sun at 2 & 7
ends on April 2, 2023
for tickets ($30), visit Theatre 68
