Curtain calls

“Lipstick Traces” Through Oct. 20 UCLA
Little Theater (310) 825-2101 1.5 Paws

Remember how parents always reminisce about the “good
ol’ days” when candy was a quarter and life was
simpler, and basically all the kids could do was sit there, aching
for the speech to be over? “Lipstick Traces” is sort of
like that, except it has lots of fluorescent lights too. With an
ever-so-“clever” and confusing plot, the play relives
the days of punk, going back to 16th-century John of Leyden and
then jumping to 1970s punk idol Johnny Rotten. But the play lacks
fluid transitions and the audience is left partly confused yet
mildly entertained by this century jump. Besides showing the
evolution of the punk movement in a rather contorted manner, the
play has no basic plot. From the beginning, with self-anointed Dr.
Narrator leading the production, “Lipstick Traces”
lacks the zest of informative quicksand that pulls the viewer in.
The performance lacks information and seems to be an attempt by the
creators to relive their punk days. Instead of presenting a
situation and letting the audience deal with it internally, the
creators try to force their memories and views on the audience. As
logically impairing as the performance was, it did have its share
of interesting moments. The light work and set construction were
done spectacularly. Without a doubt, the play opened the
audience’s eyes to a new world of stage atmosphere. Dazzling
the audience with its extraordinary shadows and sound work, the
play’s ambiance kept audience members in their seats. The
play is suited for young indie rockers but doesn’t capture
the real essence of the punk rock movement and just annoys the
audience instead. This play is a punk rock show for the head
““ it leaves audience members dizzy and confused at the end,
not knowing where to turn to escape its remnants. -Siddarth
Puri

“dementia” Through Oct. 20 Tom Bradley
Theater (213) 473-0560 3 Paws

The success of an ending, whether it is for a book, a movie or a
school quarter, often helps define whatever is being finished. For
Moe, the main character of the theatrical production
“dementia,” which is now onstage at the Tom Bradley
Theatre through Oct. 20, the ending he is most concerned with is
the end of his life. A Latino playwright with a fully developed
case of AIDS, Moe believes that any ending must be unforgettable
and awesome, with some type of beautiful revelation. Throughout the
production Moe works on finding his perfect ending, while saying
goodbye to his friends and family. His interactions with them
reveal a dark side to human nature as the audience gets a firsthand
view of the mentality and inner thoughts of the people who are
forced to watch their friend perish. Sal Lopez stars as Moe, and
delivers a convincing performance of an ill, gay and delusional man
on his deathbed. His alter ego Lupe is a gender-crossing diva who
takes the show to another level. Richard Coca, who was in
“The Mexican,” stars as Lupe and sings numerous songs
by female artists in a stunning voice. Though not technically a
musical, the cast occasionally breaks out in dance, eliciting
laughs and hoots from the audience. Though dealing with numerous
sensitive issues, such as the Latino denial of gays and
HIV-positive members in their community, “dementia”
comes across as a very well-rounded play with its share of comedic,
as well as serious moments. With twists and turns that are
completely unexpected, “dementia” manages to deliver
its own surprise ending. -Barbara McGuire