‘Flirting With Morty’ Fierce, Ambitious

“Flirting With Morty,” Paula Mitchell Manning’s fierce and difficult new play about racism, generational incest and motherly betrayal, is one of those noble but undisciplined efforts that simply attempts too much for its own dramatic good. In other words, despite passionate performances, keen direction and fine original music, Manning’s rich Southern stew boils down to an overwrought melodrama.

This is not a case of too many cooks, however. Very much the guy in charge, director Phil Ramuno tastefully coordinates all elements of this complex and multifaceted production. John Lathan’s wonderful original music is the most noteworthy component of this ambitious mix, but all the design elements, especially Marc Antonio Pritchett’s exceptional sound design, are crisply and professionally executed. Also outstanding is the additional staging by Frit and Frat Fuller, twin brother choreographers whose dance and complicated movement sequences fill this small space without overwhelming it.

If only Manning showed the same kind of economy in approaching her story, which segues from a chilling tale of child molestation to a soap operatic treatment of the evils of racism. A subplot about a singing star who was murdered by his own father further diffuses the plot.

LaDon Drummond plays Baby Hunter, a depressed Southern woman who is considering suicide--or “flirting” with death, as the title wryly suggests.

From her earliest memories, Baby has been sexually victimized by the men in her life. But Baby began to exorcise the ghosts of her unhappy past when she met and married Willie Hunter (Lathan), a young African American serviceman from whom she is now painfully separated.

The reason for that separation remains a mystery until Act Three. The bulk of the play is conducted in flashback, as Baby looks back on her own past sexual abuse--explicit scenes that are wrenchingly difficult to watch.

Drummond and Lathan, a talented vocalist who also plays the murdered pop star, invest their challenging roles with clarity and credibility.

Otherwise, histrionics are the order of the evening, as the cast frequently succumbs to the temptation of overacting.

However, Manning’s raw and overblown play must be approached with complete conviction if it is to succeed on any level, and these performers display a collective fervor that is impressive, if not always convincing.

*

“Flirting With Morty,” Company of Angels, 2106 Hyperion Ave., Silver Lake. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Selected Sundays, 5 p.m. Ends Nov. 17. $18. (323) 883-1717. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.