Last Chance

Theater

Noise--Alex Jones’ slashing 1997 drama of the perils of economic depression frequently suggests a latter-day “Look Back in Anger.” It begins with teenage factory worker Dan (Damaso Rodriquez) bringing pregnant bride Becky (Vonessa Martin) to their new home, a shoddy Black Country government housing flat (strikingly designed by Shawn Lee). The grimy comic atmosphere soon darkens, as blaring techno music from next door awakens the couple on their first night and thereafter. An official appeal to the authorities brings their neighbor, dashing slacker Matt (James C. Leary), in search of rapprochement while Dan is at work. This leads to harrowing developments symbolizing the lost innocence of post-Margaret Thatcher England

Director Sara Hennessy marshals her forces with assurance. Besides Lee, the solid design roster features notable contributions from Christie Wright’s lighting and Eric Pargac’s sound, and the cast is estimable, managing the Birmingham dialects without sacrificing intelligibility.

Rodriguez and Martin, wisely avoiding teen mannerisms, have an easy chemistry that renders their plight doubly poignant. Leary conceals his imbalance beneath layers of roughhewn charisma, recalling the young Terrence Mann. Jones’ impressive architecture occasionally tips the sociological hat, and the intermission is questionable, halting the accelerating tension. These are quibbles, though, as the nail-biting intensity of the disturbing climax demonstrates the acute impact this haunting work achieves.

David C. Nichols

*

Ends Sunday at Furious Theatre Company @ Armory Northwest, 965 N. Fair Oaks, Pasadena, (818) 679-8854.

Also closing this weekend:

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf--Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem, exploring what it’s like to be a woman of color in America, ends Sunday at the Coleman and Smith Artistic Company, 6448 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, (213) 202-3235.

Hello and Goodbye--South African playwright Athol Fugard’s drama about a pivotal evening in the lives of two siblings ends Sunday at the Knightsbridge Theatre, 35 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, (626) 440-0821.

The Importance of Being Earnest--Oscar Wilde’s comedy of mistaken identities, romance and the skewering of Victorian society’s pretenses and hypocrisy ends Sunday at the Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, (626) 355-4318.

Once Upon a Primetime-- This sharply executed spoof concerning mute Edna Crumb (the memorable Jodi Harris) and her Faustian television quest ends Saturday at the Powerhouse Theatre, 3116 2nd St., Santa Monica, (310) 572-6748.

Someone to Watch Over Me--Frank McGuinness’ drama about three men--Irish, English and American--imprisoned in Lebanon ends Saturday at the Hudson Guild Theatre, 6543 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 856-4200, Ext. 4.

The Wood Demon--This outdoor production of Chekhov’s comedy, about romantic entanglements and family members vying for control of a country estate, ends Saturday at Arroyo Repertory Theatre, 2033 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 398-6522.