OFFTIME

Abi Watkinson’s one-woman show 5:45 is a poor receptacle for a great deal of talent—one that feels underdeveloped and not fully thought through.

The trouble starts with the title. A good title should grab attention, pique curiosity, and function as either clue or bait to lure in a potential patron: The Hundred Years’ War in Rehearsal, The Iceman Cometh, Assassins, Death Takes a Holiday, Applause. 5:45 is none of those things—neither attention-grabbing, intriguing, nor informative. We eventually learn it refers to the time Maya, the central character, wakes up each morning. Maya is a juggernaut of efficiency. Frankly, if she’d been present at Genesis, Creation would’ve wrapped up three days early.

Then, late in the narrative, something horrible happens to Maya. And about five minutes later, the play ends, and everyone goes home. The event is not integrated into the story but dropped in with the grace of an Acme Safe flattening Wile E. Coyote. Perhaps the playwright hoped to be topical, or thought the added crisis might lend the climax greater dramatic weight. Either way, it never gets the exploration it demands and feels more calculated than earned. In playing false with her audience, Watkinson ends up betraying herself.

Which is unfortunate, because the piece contains excellent comic writing—and more importantly, Watkinson proves herself to be an actress of exceptional talent and depth. If she put herself in a play with more confidence in the writing and greater honesty with the audience, that would be a show worth seeing.

5:45
part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival
Actors Company (Little Theatre) 916 N. Formosa Ave
ended on June 29, 2025
for show info, visit 5:45