INKBLOTS AND FLAT LINES

Strong performances and striking visuals
cannot disguise the shortcomings of
Kelly Younger’s predictable new play

Mitch Ross and Elijah McNally star in Skylight Theatre’s world premiere production of Rorschach

What do you see when you look into an inkblot? In the world premiere of Rorschach at the Skylight Theatre, playwright Kelly Younger and director Cameron Watson hope you see a funny, tender exploration of love and perception. While the ambition is clear, the production seems, at times, more predictable than mysterious.

Linzi Fenix and Tessa Claire Hersh

The action alternates between 1922 Zurich, where psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach (Mitch Ross) is struggling to establish the credibility of his inkblot test, and present-day Los Angeles, where graduate student Justin (Elijah McNally) is researching the doctor’s work. Rorschach’s colleague Emil (Paul Culos) presents him with an anonymous patient’s responses but refuses to identify the subject, threatening their friendship. Meanwhile, Justin’s encounter with Aimee (Carolina Rodriguez) sparks a tentative romance, while actress Olive (Linzi Fenix) and her girlfriend Dana (Tessa Claire Hersh) confront troubles of their own. As the two periods intersect, Younger explores how readily people mistake their assumptions about others for the truth—much as they project their own interpretations onto an inkblot. Yet too often, the script relies on theatrical tropes rather than pulling the audience into genuine human connection.

Mitch Ross and Paul Culos

That is not to say the evening lacks bright spots. As Justin, McNally delivers a standout performance, bringing a remarkable range and conviction to Justin, who is smitten by Aimee, a sassy young woman played with spark by Rodriguez. On the lighter side of the spectrum, Fenix, as Olive, serves up a delightfully quirky portrayal of what could have been a stock character: the self-absorbed actress and “bimbo with a heart of gold.” Fenix pulls off the role with charm and sharp comedic timing.

Carolina Rodriguez and Elijah McNally

Where the production stumbles is in the writing. Younger’s script is weighed down by serious soliloquies and dramatic musings that can land as trite and even formulaic. Nowhere is this more evident than in the clunky dialogue, which too often hamstrings Culos (as Emil) and especially Ross (as Rorschach). Similarly, when Olive meditates on being forced to fit into other people’s lives the way she fits into costumes, or when she and Justin engage in long reflections on their family history, the dialogue feels manufactured. Rather than driving the plot or enriching the characters, these monologues stall the show’s momentum.

Carolina Rodriguez, Elijah McNally, Tessa Claire Hersh, Linzi Fenix, Paul Culos, and Mitch Ross

The climax—if we can call it that—suffers from a similar lack of authenticity. Late in the play, a dramatic confrontation between Emil and Rorschach reaches a fever pitch that seems both psychologically flat and dramatically inert. Moreover, the frequent cross-cutting from the past to the present distracts from the more engaging tale set in contemporary California. Even there, much of the play’s humor leans on punchlines that reflect the playwright’s background as a TV writer—such as Olive’s observation that psychoanalysts end all sessions by saying “we are out of time,” a quip that elicits loud chuckles but lacks narrative depth. Too often, one can predict the next line before it is spoken.

Tessa Claire Hersh, Linzi Fenix, Paul Culos, and Mitch Ross

While the dramatic material is uneven, the technical package is sharp. Tesshi Nakagawa’s scenic design provides a sleek, versatile, and unobtrusive framework that seamlessly bridges the century and continent gap between 1920s Switzerland and modern Los Angeles. Nakagawa’s clean spatial layout serves as the essential canvas for Nicholas Santiago’s projections, which, in tight conjunction with Jeff Gardner’s sound design, deliver crisp, polished scene transitions. Stylized, swirling Rorschach-esque inkblots splashed across the back walls move in elegant harmony with electronic melodies reminiscent of Ravel. Meanwhile, Jared Sayeg’s lighting remains appropriately simple, drawing attention to the performers rather than itself.

Carolina Rodriguez, Mitch Ross, Elijah McNally and Paul Culos

Watson’s direction keeps the pace moving, but he cannot entirely obscure the script’s structural flaws. Rorschach has all the raw visual tools and a few brilliant performances to make for an engaging evening, but until the dialogue stops leaning on stagecraft, the emotional picture remains out of focus.

Elijah McNally and Carolina Rodriguez

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photos by Tyson Lindo

Rorschach
Skylight Theatre Company
Skylight Theatre, 1816½ N. Vermont Ave. in Los Feliz
90 minutes, no intermission
Fri–Sat at 8; Sun at 2
ends on November 22, 2026
for tickets ($30–$45), visit Skylight Theatre

for more shows, visit Theatre in LA

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