Fleabitten group debuts with romantic comedy

Tom Titus

If Woody Allen had written “When Harry Met Sally” and made the

characters about a decade younger, the result might have looked a lot

like Jack Neary’s “Jerry Finnegan’s Sister.”

This two-character, offbeat romantic comedy, which ushers in the

new Fleabitten Productions theater company, is playing weekends

through Dec. 22 at the Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse, the group’s first,

but probably not last, venue. All in all, it’s an auspicious

beginning.

It’s really difficult to view director Gregory Cohen’s imaginative

staging of this show without recalling some of Allen’s cinematic

travails -- except here the two future lovebirds are basically the

same age. They’re next-door neighbors Brian and Beth, who meet when

he’s about to turn 10 and “quit playing with girls.”

Naturally, that feeling is short-lived, and Brian gradually warms

up to the concept that Beth may become more than just a playmate or

buddy. But Brian is plagued by Woody’s Alfred E. Neuman syndrome --

in other words, he’s a bit of a dork -- while Beth becomes more and

more desirable, and less accessible, as she begins dating a rapid

succession of suitors.

We never see these guys, of course. Nor do we see Jerry Finnegan,

Brian’s best friend. Brian (Joe Hogan) narrates the story as he’s

experiencing it, bringing Beth (Jessica Culaciati) on stage for the

highlight moments, of which there are many.

Hogan, although encountering a few timing lapses on opening night,

ingratiates himself with the audience -- particularly the male

members, who can conjure up their own awkward moments from their

teenage dating experiences. If you’re sitting down front, you may

find yourself placed momentarily in the action when Hogan blissfully

breaks through the fourth wall to accentuate his point.

His accounts of dating disasters -- particularly an extended piece

about unwisely choosing to taunt an actor during a one-man

performance in his school gym -- are especially amusing. But his best

moments come near the end of the play when he finally musters the

courage to approach Beth and suggest a social engagement.

Culaciati displays a wide range of interpretation, from her first

appearance as a fully grown knockout to her next as a thumb-sucking

9-year-old. She gradually matures from gawky to sensuous as Hogan’s

character pretty much maintains his nerdish demeanor. Also, she’s

permitted a number of character-enhancing costume changes, while

Hogan, on stage 95 percent of the time, doesn’t have that luxury.

Fleabitten Productions is the brainchild of director Cohen and

actor Hogan, who have also formed an improvisational theater group

and are looking for a permanent performing facility for both. With

the talent and energy that have gone into “Jerry Finnegan’s Sister,”

this dream soon should become a reality.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His

reviews appear Thursdays and Saturdays.