A couple of homeless women cross paths with a mixed bag of acquaintances and strangers on Thanksgiving Eve in Barbera Ann Howard and Marjorie Lewit’s World Premiere dramedy Alley Of Misfits, itself somewhat of a mixed bag, but one whose pluses ultimately outweigh its minuses.

Leading its cast of misfits are Pearl (Howard) and Ruby (Judy Theodora Marcelline), living out of grocery carts on this chilly November night somewhere in urban America while finding strength from a friendship forged out of life’s slings and arrows.

As they wait in a so-far nonexistent line for Thanksgiving dinner at a local shelter, Pearl and Ruby’s paths cross those of Build-A-Bear employee June (Bahasi Chapman), bar manager Jim (Austin Rapp), bar worker Ken (Ben Anderson), and a couple of drunken Gen-Zers (Hayley O’Toole’s Hillary and Jennifer Christine DeRosa’s Candy) as 30something businessman David (Biniyam Abreha) searches for the mother he until recently believed had abandoned him when he was just thirteen.

What works best in Alley Of Misfits is the relationship between Pearl, her mind and memory slowly being lost to dementia (with a bit of schizophrenia stirred in), and Ruby, a former Broadway star for whom a series of bad breaks has led to the loss of family, work, and home, probably in that order.

Howard (who has written herself one hell of a part) manages to be both heartbreakingly real and funny too in the evening’s star turn, and Marcelline is terrific too as a woman who’s lost everything but her dignity, her integrity, and her ability to love unconditionally. (Howard and Marcelline’s final scene together is the play’s strongest and most moving.)

Abreha in particular reveals talent, stage presence, and an innate likeability that makes him one to watch, and Anderson, Chapman, DeRosa, O’Toole, and Rapp are all quite good in their featured roles.

I also liked June’s supportive relationship with the two homeless women. (She’s given Pearl a castaway teddy bear that the latter has painstakingly repaired, the better to have a companion pet.)

Seeing the adversarial nature of Jim and Ken’s employer-employee relationship turn out to be something entirely different is another plus, though opportunities are missed to take suggestions of a possible romantic connection between Ken and June a more satisfying step further.

I’m considerably less taken by Candy and Hillary’s story, if only because even one obnoxious drunk is one too many for me, let alone two. (That being said, DeRosa’s Candy did end up winning me over in some unexpectedly touching interplay with Ruby and Pearl.)

What didn’t work for me was having two of June’s castaways come to life as a pair of unnecessarily foul-mouthed bears, played human-sized by Sarah Siverson as Belle and Matthew Monaco as Sebastian. Though both actors nail their Toy Story-ready roles, I could easily have done without this extended bit of whimsy, time I’d much rather have spent with Jim and Ken, or Ken and June, or Ruby and Pearl.

Besides eliciting some fine performances, directors Bree Pavey and Marc LeClerc ensure that Alley Of Misfits moves seamlessly and swiftly and refreshingly intermission-free.

Madylin Sweeten’s scenic design, Tor Brown’s lighting, Natasha Renee Pitts’ properties, Sarah Nilsen and Pavey’s projections, and uncredited costumes and sound are all effective despite budget constraints.

Pavey is producer. Silas Jean-Rox (who has a wordless cameo as Toby) and Nina Marcelo are stage managers. Celina Lee Surniak is intimacy and fight choreographer. Anderson is fight captain. Ken Werther is publicist.

With some savvy rewrites, Alley Of Misfits could end up seeing life beyond its Loft Ensemble World Premiere engagement. Even as is, it provides an entertaining (and ultimately quite touching) alternative to the more traditional holiday fare about to open around town.

Loft Ensemble, 11031 Camarillo St., North Hollywood.
www.loftensemble.org

–Steven Stanley
November 20, 2021
Photos: Matthew Wayne Roberts

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Tags: Barbera Ann Howard, Loft Ensemble, Los Angeles Theater Review, Marjorie Lewit