Review: DNA: Does Not Add-Up

DNA/by Dennis Kelly/directed by Laura Steinroeder?/Atwater Village Theatre/thru December 20, 2015

The Red Cup Theatre Company's debut production of playwright Dennis Kelly's DNA unfortunately does not gel as a satisfying story. A group of teenage mean girls and bullies cover up a murder of a fellow student to no apparent consequence or laughs.

Hard to believe the playwright who wrote the book for the award-winning Matilda The Musical created these skin-deep, totally unsympathetic characters devoid of any compassion. The one character of Phil began promisingly enough as Donathan Walters genuinely inhabited the seemingly dim-witted, pleasant non-speaking mute. Walter's Phil became a completely different, quite believable person as the sharp-thinking mastermind behind the very detailed murder cover-up of Adam. Phil's dual/split personalities, however, went unexplicably unexplained.

Hats off to this game cast for their strong commitment to their superficial characters. Katie Kerr nailed the total annoyance of her non-stop talking Leah. Grace Yoo and Nora King as besties Mary and Jan (who inadvertently caused Adam's demise "just for laughs") mastered their own private language, the incomplete sentence back-and-forth only understandable by people on the same wavelength.

Also a head scratcher that Parker Shook's frequently crying Brian would be accepted in this "in crowd." Does he have a rich, influential family or something the others can take advantage of?

Jeremy Ferdman as victim Adam got the ample opportunity to play a calm crazy, as opposed to Brian's more frenzied breakdown.

Others in this cast of meanies include: Rod Hernandez-Farella as John, the top dog of the class (disappearing after his initial scene); Lucas Gust as Richard, the former leader of this clique; Pam Covington as Dani who might just have a sliver of conscience; Allison Henry as the popular girl Cathy; and Sadeeq Ali as Lou the over-re-acting one.

Matthew Gorka and Nicholas Acciani should be commended on their respective designs of lighting and set in this Laura Steinroeder-directed effort.

www.redcuptheatreco.com

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