Review: Timely New Play HUMAN INTEREST STORY Focuses on Homelessness, Celebrity Worship and Truth in American Journalism

The multi-award-winning Fountain Theatre in Hollywood creates, develops and produces new plays and re-imagined classics expressing the diverse social issues and cultures of Los Angeles and the nation, giving artistic voice to the voiceless. Now presenting the world premiere of HUMAN INTEREST STORY, a timely new play written and directed by Stephen Sachs (Arrival & Departure, Citizen: An American Lyric, Bakersfield Mist), centering on homelessness, celebrity worship and truth in American journalism which reminds us that the line between where you are now and sleeping in your car is much thinner than you think. And like city traffic congestion, the homeless population in Los Angeles has grown to epic proportions and will only get worse, with even more tents and campers lining streets in every neighborhood to house those with nowhere else to live and no financial means to change their circumstances. But for those who want out, shouldn't there always be a way to do so by just taking a chance when the opportunity arises?

Richard Azurdia, Aleisha Force, Matt Kirkwood, and Tarina Pouncy authentically portray many supporting characters including TV new reporters and event interviewers who twist Jane's story to gain more viewers or to support their own causes. And when media investigators discover Jane Doe's real identity, her popularity drops and the media attacks begin, forcing Jane back into the woods as she awaits the upcoming and fateful 4th of July. Will she take her own life for an identity she assumed to protect Andy Kramer's lie, or is it possible to turn your life around simply by telling the truth?

This thought-provoking testament to the universal struggle of living day-to-day in a society whose apathy seems to know no bounds for the down-and-out will grab your attention and keep you at the edge of your seat as Jane Doe's story unfolds. Tanya Alexander's magnificent ability to morph herself from a homeless woman in dirty clothing, sitting on a park bench holding a sign stating "I am NOT Invisible" allows us to see where she has been and how much she really desires to pick herself up by her bootstraps and do whatever is necessary to survive. As she achieves celebrity status, Alexander opens to heart and soul and lets us see into Jane Doe's guilt of having survived when others have not. And as Jane Doe's fortunes rise, Alexander is costumed to perfection in lovely, form-fitting dresses designed by Shon LeBlanc that would allow Jane Doe to shine anywhere.

But it is Rob Nagle as the intrepid, if rather morally corrupt reporter Andy Kramer who fabricates a story and then lies about its authenticity, who commands the stage from start to finish, assisted by his height and distinctive voice as well as his remarkable ability to completely infuse his being into the heart and soul of his character. Scenes between Alexander and Nagle will ring true on a variety of levels, especially when they debate the value of telling the truth over doing what you need to do to survive. Other compelling scenes take place between Nagle and Aleisha Force as Megan Tunney, a forceful fellow reporter whose honesty about what she wants from him challenges his will to struggle through life alone.

Photo credit: Jenny Graham