Death Before Cocktails (review)

Spoilers ahoy!

The title of Laureen Vonnegut's new play, now at Theatre68, feels rather tantalizing:  Death Before Cocktails.  One might expect a murder mystery, possibly in the style of the 1930s, or a comedic struggle for some alcoholic.  In fact these turned out meager and unworthy guesses.

Sophie, a famous actress, has committed suicide and left instructions for her twin sister Lana (Ariel Hart) to take the ashes to a bar owned by Lana's old ex Will (Tom Kearney).  Also invited is Clive (Paul Keaney), Lana's former fiancee whose engagement ended when one drunken night he slept with Sophie.  What follows is a truly fascinating and entertaining conversation between folks who are trying desperately to keep it together while navigating their complex feelings for one another, and the dearly departed.

Oh, and adding to the brew is Ruth (Rose Hunter), a very young waitress who turns out to be Will's long lost daughter from a one night stand.  Trying to do right by her, Will gave her a job.  Also crashing the party is Mario (Damien Diaz), a flamboyant dentist who is now dating the bisexual Clive--who in turn has decided he might as well just go all the way and identify as gay (because, well, gay men in Los Angeles won't date a man who identifies as bi).  Mario thinks this is LOVE, which makes Clive deeply uncomfortable.

The cocktail that this play turns out to be tastes by turns hilarious, disturbing, moving, sad, happy, frustrating--but always human, always essentially kind, always honest.  And funny.  Don't forget that one.  Funny!

I really need to applaud the cast and co-directors Vonnegut and Alex Rotaru for accomplishing the essence of a fine performance.  Not only did every single performer commit to their choices 110%, no matter how bizarre (Mario at one point is definitely tripping on cocaine), but they spoke these lines with truth.  These are not the easiest lines to do that with, simply because the characters tend to be very clever and pretty insightful at the same time as demonstrating they are also what all of our species remain forever--fools.

Just like you and me.  For the record, especially me.

So we get treated to an emotional roller coaster, with falls into hopelessness and sometimes rage.  Then we find ourselves jolted by more than a few sharp plot turns (let us say Sophie's full instructions for the get together prove a tad exotic) and shaken to various degrees by various sorts of revelations.

As cocktails go, this one has layers of flavor galore.  If has the bitter along with the sweet, the sharp as well as the smooth, it also tastes filling and leaves a pleasing but not saccharine aftertaste.

Death Before Cocktails plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 7pm until May 13, 2018 at Theatre68 (south of Magnolia) 5112 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood CA 91601.