Reader's theatre is a strange thing. With its dim lighting, minimal
staging, and black-clad, script-schlepping actors, reader's theatre has a
more voyeuristic quality than traditional productions. Rather than
(hopefully) feeling as if you're watching people's lives pass before
you, it's almost as if one has stolen into a private rehearsal where the
company is testing out a new script before deciding whether to fully
produce it. Such a setting makes the playwright and his words the focal
point, since there isn't much else to grasp one's attention. Not so with "Milli." The cast's subtle, realistic portrayals were a joy to watch. Exchanges between Alexis Rafter (Milli of Galt) and Adam Demerath (Edward) were especially poignant and enthralling, crackling with well-timed wit and believable desire.
In viewing this modest production, with its two-day run and $20 budget, a simple truth was illuminated: theatre is enjoyable -- indeed valuable -- when it reveals the truth of the human spirit and condition through genuinely talented actors. All else is garnish.
LA theater reviews by LA Theater Critic.
