‘Cahuenga Passages’ Journeys Through Range of Emotions

An impressive trio of original one-acts, “Cahuenga Passages” at Theatre of NOTE, ranges from the lighthearted to the wrenching.

“Cotton,” by Robert Fieldsteel, directed by Pamela Gordon, pits an American rag trader in Hong Kong against the inscrutability of the Chinese market. Robert Stoccardo (alternating in the role with David Bickford) captures the increasing paranoia of a huckster out of his element. As the salesman’s wife, Nancy Jane Smeets (alternating with Katharine Gibson) lends a sympathetic ear to her husband’s comic anxieties.

Writer-director Christopher Kelley’s “Ransomed Soul” is an offbeat treatment of sexual betrayal that puts one in mind of a postmodern James M. Cain yarn. Substituting for regular cast member Tony Forkush, Kelley impeccably finds the comic rhythm in his dialogue, as does Katharine Gibson as both temptress and foil. Dennis Miles’ heartbreaking paean to mother love, “Middle Savage,” well-directed by Kiff Scholl, chronicles a mentally challenged youth’s violent passage into manhood, only occasionally belaboring its themes. Richard Werner portrays Middle, the disturbed youth, with astounding rigor and clarity. Cathy Carlton also shines as Lydian, Middle’s mother, who eloquently champions her son against those who would institutionalize him.

BE THERE

“Cahuenga Passages,” Theater of NOTE, 1517 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. Thursday-Saturday., 8 p.m. Ends April 4. $10-$12. (213) 856-8611. Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes.