by Ashley Steed~

“Does anyone have any concept of what’s going on here?” asks Mason (Mark Sande), an executive of some vague corporation.

No, I think to myself. And I don’t think this production knows either.

Don Ponturo’s Survival Exercise satirizes corporate life through the office entanglements of the glib corporate tool Mason, his uneasy mentee Andrew (Michael Sweeny), office cougar Sharon (Cheryl Bricker) and the transparently ambitious, albeit charming new-comer Susan (Michelle Murphy).

The play begins with the four characters in a frenzy getting ready for a “talking house” pitch. Andrew, whose idea it is, backs down in delivering the pitch but Mason convinces him to go through with it. Of course the office veteran doesn’t give Andrew the pep talk out of the goodness of his heart – he thinks it’s a terrible idea and is setting Andrew up for failure so that he can save the day. But the pitch is a hit, and Mason may be out of a job. Then, for some reason, the group is sent to a weekender of team-building exercises. Hence the title. The group’s dynamic is off kilter now as the master manipulator Mason becomes undone.

The first exercise is a role-play done in front of the camera. Mason goes off script and explodes as he turns and glares at the camera to great comedic effect. However, the use of the camera seems like an after-thought – as if during the rehearsal process someone said, “hey, we keep talking about a camera in this scene, maybe we should use one.” Rather than serving the scene, it distracts.

The next exercise is… well, I honestly don’t remember. What I do remember is the chalkboard diagram on the wall consisting of numbers, sad faces and scribbles, which to me was the most interesting aspect of the design (more on that later) and funniest part of the scene.

After intermission it’s three weeks later and someone, no one knows who, has called a meeting. Mason’s anxiety has infected the rest of the crew and Susan has a bit of a breakdown as the “poison” in the office air finally gets to her. The boys leave to get help and there is a touchingly honest moment between the two women as Sharon shares her insecurities of getting older and fears of becoming obsolete.

Director Duane Daniels elicits fine performances from the four-some, however the staging is a bit convoluted. I suppose it’s hard to stage characters that essentially are running around yelling, “I don’t know what you’re doing,” and “I just want things to make sense.” In turn, the direction follows suit. There are moments of sitcom-ish comedy, melodrama, farce, realism and expressionism. The premise is simple and really only needs one style to tell the story. Pick one.

Which leads to the lighting by Matt Richter. If the goal is to mimic the unappealing effect of fluorescent lighting found in most offices, then they succeeded. The actors are either in a bright white light, a dim red (which I still don’t understand), or barely visible. I think this production was trying really hard to be avant-garde with less than avant material. Also perplexing is the hip-hop music in between scenes. Perhaps it’s supposed to be a juxtaposition of the corporate world and the urban street environment. Who knows? There’s also the trumpeting of fanfare for a couple of Andrew’s entrances, with Mason calling him the prince. An interesting idea considering Mason speech towards the end when he talks about his lack of fanfare – a motif that could have been developed more.

The set, also by Daniels, consists of a metal table and four metal chairs, with a white X dividing the stage. They serve their purpose. The reflective quality of the metal table adds a nice lighting affect on the actors’ faces. That is, when it’s actually lit.

No complaint with the costumes. Most effective and telling is Sharon’s office attire, which showcases her, “yeah, I’ve still got it” façade – and legs.

It comes across that Ponturo is satirizing a world he knows nothing about. The trite dialogue and stock characters are simplified versions we’ve already seen on TV and in films – there’s nothing real or new here. Although there are bits and pieces that are quite charming, it’s not enough to satisfy. At the end, Mason shouts, “I’m free!” I couldn’t help saying the same thing upon leaving the theatre, bewildered.

Survival Exercise is performed Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 6 pm through May 2, 2010.

The Elephant Space Theatre is located at 6322 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood just west of Vine.

Tickets are $20 (Sat & Sun) and $15 (Sun).

Running time is 100 minutes with intermission and concessions available. Allow time for street parking.

Reservations on-line at www.plays411.com/survival or by phone at (323) 960-7776.