‘O.J.’ keeps satire pointed, hilarious

‘O.J.’ keeps satire pointed, hilarious

Play stays abreast of trial with weekly updates, rewrites

rewrites

By Lael Loewenstein

Daily Bruin Staff

It’s an equal-opportunity offender, as politically incorrect as
the most blistering Howard Stern show. It’s also a savvy, hilarious
and scathing commentary on the madness in our midst.

A send-up of the Simpson trial and the media frenzy surrounding
it, "O.J. Law" is one of the most pointed satires around.

The intelligent, outlandish comedy, originally written for radio
by Gary Gordon and Ron Birnbach, was intended for a limited run.
But strong word-of-mouth has kept audiences coming since
December.

The skeletal, loosely structured plot centers on a Hollywood
writer doing an O.J. movie for television. But there’s ample
latitude for irreverent musical numbers and comedic sketches,
lampooning everything from O.J.’s exercise video to the
behind-the-scenes bickering of the defense team to Marcia Clark’s
new hairdo.

Some of the better musical numbers include an impassioned Dionne
Warwick (Carrie Dobro) crooning "Do You Know the Way to Save O.J."
and a pair of songwriters pitching their sitcom-inspired melodies.
To the tune of "The Brady Bunch," they sing: "It’s a story of a
football hero/Did he really go berserk and kill his wife?/You
should never mix drugs and burgers/with a very large German knife."
And to "The Beverly Hillbillies" theme: "Come and listen to my
story ’bout a man named Juice/Well, he had a little problem with
spousal abuse."

Sure, it’s all in bad taste, but that’s exactly the point.

In a comic bit, there’s an ad for "SideBar," a new
stress-relieving energy snack, pitched with utter conviction by the
rival attorneys. In two flavors ("chocolate, with caffeine or
marshmallow, with valium"), the SideBar, they enthuse, is "the one
thing we can all agree on!"

Also memorable: a bumbling Inspector Clouseau (Rich Levier)
trying to solve the murders; a breezy Susan Dey (Dobro), drafted by
the defense team to reprise her "L.A. Law" role, and a vapid,
surfer-dude Kato (Jason Levin) believing he’s come to court for an
acting audition ("What’s my motivation?" he demands
helplessly).

The cast of 10, playing a combined total of 80 characters, keeps
the show energetic. Standouts include Dobro, Julie Ambrose as
Marcia Clark, and Greg Eagles, an astonishing mimic, as O.J.

Updated every week to include the trial’s latest developments,
"O.J. Law" would be most entertaining to those who follow the court
proceedings. A number of in-jokes would be lost on those unfamiliar
with the trial.

The weekly additions and changes mean that the actors hold their
scripts throughout, but the written dialogue serves less as a
crutch than as a prompter. Gary Gordon’s tight direction keeps the
play percolating with humor and swiftly moving transitions for all
of its uninterrupted 90 minutes.

In one sequence that works quite effectively, Nicole Simpson’s
ghost appears briefly but memorably to reproach the writer, the
media, and all of us, lest anyone forget the real reason for this
trial. It’s a potent, self-reflexive moment that may be perceived
as a critique of the playwrights themselves.

In drama and literature, satire has consistently proven one of
the most potent forms of criticism; often even the most hyperbolic
suggestions contain kernels of truth. One of "O.J. Law’s" most
far-fetched yet oddly rational notions: The city of L.A. provoked
and then exploited the murders, hoping to attract tourists and
revive the economy after the natural and sociopolitical disasters
of the last few years.

It gives one pause to think.

THEATER: "O.J. Law." Complex Theater, 6476 Santa Monica Blvd.,
Hollywood. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m, through June 17.
Admission is $10. For more info call (213) 466-1767.