THEATER REVIEW:

“Everything in life is somewhere else,” E.B. White once observed, “and you get there in a car.”

The OCC Repertory theater company has taken White’s observation (reprinted in its program) and put it on wheels, so to speak, with its current production of “Autobahn,” a series of short plays by Neil LaBute, whose lengthier works include “Nurse Betty” and the current movie “Lakeview Terrace.”

The LaBute playlets have two things in common.

All are set in the front seat of an automobile and all involve just two characters. And — with the notable exception of the final entry — all are on a one-way road to nowhere.

That final segment, titled “Bench Seat” and directed by Shawn P. Greenfield, is worth the frustration of sitting through the other three. It’s a searing examination of a seemingly trite subject — two teenage lovers exploring the possibility, and consequences, of a breakup.

Here, Jamie R. Smith gives the performance of the evening as the girl determined to hang onto her guy (Josh Rivera) and turning the air blue with reflections on how she reacted to a past dumping. Ranging from sugary sweet to scarily psychotic, Smith touches all the emotional bases while Rivera appears to be, nervously, just along for the ride.

This is a pattern repeated in the other three playlets as well — one character on a verbal rampage, the other a more passive presence. But these all fail to ultimately satisfy as LaBute subtly teases his audience members, then leaves them hanging.

In the opener, “Long Division,” directed by Robert Schober, the driver (Michael Canas) counsels his buddy (a near-wordless Sonny Duong) on a course of action to take following a separation from his girlfriend. It’s not until late in the piece that we discover the triviality of the topic, and LaBute offers no resolution.

The second entry, “Road Trip,” directed by Alonso Manrique, is more tantalizing as an older man (Josh Mendez) and a young girl (Shantiel Vazquez) embark on a journey that elicits more questions than answers.

Is he her father, lover or teacher? What are they fleeing from and where are they headed? Answers are not forthcoming.

Duong returns with much more to say in “All Apologies,” directed by Prithvi Peethala. He plays a man fervently, and awkwardly, seeking his wife’s (Nasi Nassiri) forgiveness for some unmentioned transgression. Again, LaBute leaves us hanging.

With “Bench Seat,” however, the playwright finishes the journey more completely than in the other three, creating a compelling character study which the OCC actress projects brilliantly. This one makes up for the deficiencies of the others.

WHAT: “Autobahn”

WHERE: OCC Drama Lab Studio Theatre

WHEN: Closing performances 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday

COST: $5 to $6

CONTACT: (714) 432-5880 or www.occtickets.com

TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews appear Thursdays.