STAGE REVIEW : ‘A LIFE IN THE THEATER’ GOES BEHIND THE SCENE

An actor stands silhouetted on an empty stage, framed by the darkened house, and smokes a cigarette, lost in thought. That one moment captures the sense and the sensibility of “A Life in the Theater” in a taut, thoughtful production staged by the Grove Theatre Company.

David Mamet has assembled a collection of reflections on the nature of theater and the stubborn souls who bring it to life in his 1977 play. He steers two actors--an eager novice and an expansive old pro--through the rocky shoals of what appears to be a very long repertory season, or two, or 10.

The confines of Mamet’s story are vague, sometimes frustratingly so, but the playwright doesn’t set out to offer a neat linear package. Instead, the characters’ commitment, ambitions, fears and frailties are exposed in a series of deliberate moves made in fits and starts, much like a game of chess.

All the action takes place within the high, dingy walls of the confined backstage area, offering a glimpse of a raised stage and the darkened seating area beyond. In a series of encounters on and off stage, the two actors individually confront the quicksilver nature of their chosen profession: its giddy peaks and insecure valleys, the cyclical nature of the work, its inborn competitiveness and the price all those factors exact on those who practice the craft.

Theater is also a business, after all, and that fact can be read on the bored, blase faces of the stagehands as they push brooms and lug props. But the magic of theater resides in the actors, in this case John-David Keller as Robert, the troupe veteran, and Wayne Watkins as John, the anxious new kid on the block.

We suspect Robert has seen more than one young actor pass through the company, get some seasoning and a few good reviews and then move on. But that isn’t what Mamet’s story is about. There is a lot being said here between the lines, and this production takes the time to listen.

Keller is wrenching and exasperating and hard to shake as Robert, who maintains a thin layer of condescension stretched over a frail ego. His resonant voice, precise diction and deliberate projection spell out just how long he has been at his craft. He plays the old pro graciously at first, then a bit tediously, and finally with all of his defenses up against this threatening newcomer. There is plenty of sound and fury in this role, but what lingers in Keller’s performance is the quiet despair.

Watkins draws his own distinct boundaries as John. He skillfully moves the young actor from his initial painful deference (even his casual conversation has a rehearsed quality) to a measure of confidence.

At first John feels obliged, even privileged, to cater to the older man’s ego as his willing pupil. But as time passes, Robert’s discourses on The Theater become an artful power play between the two men, often funny, occasionally brutal. Watkins finds a generosity in John, however, that gives the relationship an inner logic and much of its power to move.

Finally, there is the black, empty theater itself, raised like a shrine in the effective, dust-colored set designed by Gil Morales. It is a powerful image, and director Daniel Bryan Cartmell knows its power. The only intrusive note is the taped music playing over the frequent scene changes, which proves more of a distraction than anything else.

But silence has its place here, too. And in the silence of that empty theater, as the actor smokes his cigarette, the siren song of the blank stage is clearly heard.

‘A LIFE IN THE THEATER’ A Grove Theatre Company production of a play by David Mamet. Director: Daniel Bryan Cartmell. With John-David Keller, Wayne Watkins, Dewey Douglas, Frances J. Petrella. Set design: Gil Morales. Costumes: Mary Morales. Lighting: David C. Palmer. Plays at 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, with 7:30 p.m. performances June 7 and 14 and a 3 p.m. matinee June 21. Closes June 27. Tickets $10-$13. The Gem Theatre, 12852 Main St., Garden Grove. (714) 636-7213.