By Shari Barrett
The Los Angeles premiere of Eric Pfeffinger’s modern comedy Human Error centers around two couples who lives cross in the most unexpected way. Madelyn and Sameer are NPR-listening, Ruth Bader Ginsburg admiring, latte-sipping blue-staters eager to have their first baby. Or they were, until they learn that due to a mix-up at the fertility clinic, Madelyn’s embryo was accidentally implanted into another client’s uterus. That news is especially difficult to take as it means they will need to foster a relationship with the other couple, NASCAR-loving, right-wing NRA cardholders, and convince them to have the baby and relinquish it to its biological parents. But can these polar-opposite couples make it through nine months of gestation and remain friendly for the sake of the new life being brought into the world?
And comedy abounds thanks to its great script, brilliant direction by Joshua Bitton, and a perfectly marvelous cast of five extraordinary actors: Kristen Vaganos as the neurotic, fast-talking Madelyn who really wants to be a mother but not a full-time parent; Kapil Talwalkar as Sameer, her quiet and understanding husband who knows how to calm her down when her emotions take over; Lauren Burns as Heather, the conservative, pro-life wife of handsome Keil Kennedy as her Ohio State loving husband Jim who values his truck almost as much as her; and Andrew Hawtrey as the befuddled Dr. Hoskins who is more concerned about the possible lawsuit brewing than the mistake which caused it.
I guarantee this comedic look at what divides our country and people into red and blue states will get you thinking about how just a little patience and open communication on the part of both sides, without expecting all things to be either right or wrong, could assist in creating a middle ground where everyone feels heard and respected without having to agree on much. Certainly doing so would remove some of the tension and violence so prevalent in our divided society today.
Shares playwright Eric Pfeffinger, “I set out to write a medical-mistake comedy, but the play insisted on including an exploration of ideological polarization and whether the divided extremes in this country can ever hope to understand one another.” But, in my opinion, at least if we can all agree to laugh together rather that fight about what divides us in our beliefs, be it religious, racial or political, and learn to listen and understand each other with a big doze of open-mindedness, might it not result in a more peaceful reunification?
Director Joshua Britton succinctly summarizes exactly what Human Error expressed to me. “The thing that struck me the most (other than the humor) when I was first introduced to Eric’s play, was that it looked at people, at Americans, on different sides of the political spectrum, and it humanized them. I see and read a lot of plays that paint the other side as simply evil or wrong. Eric’s play doesn’t do that. Instead, he takes these remarkably different couples, from opposite sides of our ‘red or blue’ mentality and forces them, through a ridiculous, and high stakes circumstance, to have to deal with each other. In doing so, he allows us to laugh at each other’s foibles while reminding us that we all have them – and in the end we all share at least one common goal – the pursuit of life, liberty, justice, and the freedom to laugh.” And laugh you will from start to finish!!
Kudos to the creative team for expressing the red vs. blue theme in their clever designs including scenic design by James Morris, lighting design by Rachel Manheimer, and costume design by Christine Cover Ferro. Sound design by Chris Moscatiello adds in elements of realism to outdoor scenes.
Human Error runs at 8 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays; 3 p.m. Sundays through September 8, 2024 (dark September 2), presented by Rogue Machine in the Matrix Theatre, located at 7657 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles 90046. Tickets are $45 for general seating. Seniors: $35 Students with ID: $25. Shows4Less on Aug. 23 ($15+), Aug. 30, and Sept. 6 ($20+). Reservations at roguemachinetheatre.org or by calling (855) 585-5185.
After seeing the world premiere of The Spy Who Went Into Rehab at Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice, I asked playwright Gregg Ostrin about what led to the creation of his play. “As a lifelong fan of James Bond, the movies and books, as well as all things 60’s era spy, I was musing on the character of Bond. I realized that he was an alcoholic, a sex addict, nicotine addict and gambling addict. The story grew from that. It’s a play about taking ownership of your behavior, about becoming the best version of the person you were meant to be. But with a lot of comedy.”
The story centers around Simon Cross, portrayed with great enthusiasm by Satiar Pourvasei as a British spy in white dinner jacket remarkably like Bond during his womanizing, hard living and drinking days. But when Simon awakes from a night of debauchery he cannot remember and finds himself in New Horizons Rehab courtesy of Z (Cyndy Fujikawa channeling an older and wiser Miss Moneypenny) who wants to transform his outdated persona into a more acceptable human being, Simon is furious and refuses to even consider the idea. That’s until the Rehab’s counselor Stella (Mariah Shirley who shares the role with Jill Renner) shows up and reads him the new rules by which he is now required to live. Their first encounter does not go the way Simon imagines it will when he is forced to accept the rules for his required 3-month stay. No alcohol, cigarettes, dinner jackets, or women? How will he ever survive?
This comedic spoof on the entire James Bond world looks at how a handsome and suave outdated male relic who still embodies toxic masculinity, learns to think differently, courtesy of a colorful group of “woke,” self-aware recovering addicts. Among them are Rachel Townsend as Yvonne, also a recovering alcoholic and sex addict, and non-binary Pixie (Alondra Andrade), a term with little meaning to Simon. “You’re just confused,” he tells Pixie. Of course, he sets his sites on seducing both women even though that cannot happen. The only other male patient is Gary (Stuart W. Howard), whose life is totally run by fear of everything and anything. Their group therapy sessions are a riot, generating laughs galore mostly aimed at Simon’s long-held vision of his own self-importance.
But soon his journey to enlightenment gets derailed when his archenemy Lazarus Rex shows up for a final confrontation – a triumphant shift in character by Stuart W. Howard into the evil, eye-patched, cat lover! Comedic spoofs of every James Bond villain ensue until a strange turn of events sets the outcome of Simon’s “woke” life into place after he realizes what you may have done is not who you really are. And I guarantee the twists and turns along the way will keep surprising you!
The Spy Who Went Into Rehab runs Friday/Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. through August 25. Pacific Resident Theatre is located at 703 Venice Blvd, Venice 90291. Tickets are $35 (Seniors 55+ and Students $25, available at pacificresidenttheatre.org or by calling (310) 822-8392. Student rush tickets for $12 are available at the box office before each performance. Street parking or limited free lot behind building.
