THE POLITICS OF MARRIAGE

Strong writing and performances
outweigh a staging that plays it safe

The worst that can be said of Ray Richmond‘s Another Distraction From the Epstein Files at Bad Ladder is that it’s not very “fringy.” Richmond’s smart two-hander is a homage to the works of Clifford Odets (1906–1963), a classic kitchen drama by way of the legendary Group Theatre of the ’30s.

Jill Holden and Steve Hofvendahl are a long-married, socially conscious couple; she is a very active activist, and he is more of an obliging archivist. She is the radical; he does crossword puzzles. Richmond gives us a morality play that is tailor-fit to our current situation. It has crisp writing, with sincere, intelligent dialogue throughout.

Director Lee Costello, in conveying the social disorder that has torn asunder the nation’s fabric, delivers a tidy staging, but it all feels too familiar, and the tension is too tame.

Hofvendahl scores a solid performance, but it is Holden who wears the “Texas spurs” in this play, and she uses them to great effect. Think Rosa Luxemburg with the timing of Joan Rivers.

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Another Distraction From the Epstein Files
Bad Ladder Theatre, 1514 North Gardner St. in Los Angeles
30 minutes
ended on June 28, 2026
for more info, visit Hollywood Fringe

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