| Friday, February 21, 1992 Home Edition Section: Calendar Page: F-24 STAGE BEAT; 'One Last Ride' Looks Like a Sure Bet; By: RAY LOYND SPECIAL TO THE TIMES 'Amorphous George' a Tasty Diversion A frisky comedy about five wildly diverse characters sharing a communal house in San Francisco, Glen Merzer's "Amorphous George" launches the new Hudson Theatre. The play is a tasty diversion, but it wasn't the most daring or original choice for the opening of what may be the sharpest theater space on Santa Monica Boulevard. The spiffy refurbishment and expansion of the former Figtree Theatre gives a real touch of class to the local theater district. Adding to the ambience is a darkly arty, cozy cafe accessible from the lobby. Director Gary Blumsack draws flavorful performances from his lively ensemble, and set designers T. Baker Rowell and Kristin Coppola fill the stage with a bright, double-leveled interior that illuminates the characters' private and public lives. Basically, the premise is the formulaic combustion that comes from throwing disparate personalities together under one roof. The strongest characters (both in the writing and the playing) are the deliciously flaky, pony-like Teri Hatcher who's favored with a cover girl face, the dryly wry resident jester Jack Kenny, and the eccentric Darryl Henriques (whose crazed glare and antic comportment are hard to resist). In this vivid company, the two nominally serious characters--Cecilia Peck's dictatorial, humorless house leader and Steven Culp's entitled, sexually amorphous new arrival--are rather clouded, bland figures who never quite fit into the nuttiness. Culp's transvestism is flat and banal rather than comical or empathetic, and Peck's authority figure lacks any warmth until the requisite meltdown at the fadeout. But for those who ever endured communal living, this show should feel at home. "Amorphous George," Hudson Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, Thursdays-Sundays, 8 p.m. Ends March 22. $15. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 2 hours. Copyright (c) 1992 Times Mirror Company |