LISTING


To renovate or not to renovate, that is the question when an early 20th-century architectural gem is put up for sale in Russell Brown’s Listing, an already absorbing drama when slowly but surely it reveals its true nature as one doozy of a thriller.

The name Brunner may not be as famous as that of say Frank Lloyd Wright, but the Austrian architect designed more than a few preservation-worthy homes including the Silverlake gem that 70-year-old Jewish widow Alice (Mouchette van Helsdingen) has lovingly and painstakingly kept as close as possible to its original pristine condition for the past four or so decades.

 Still, with her husband gone and her wastrel of an adult son Eli (Tack Sappington) having long ago flown the coop, the time has come to put her beloved Grace House (named after the home’s original owner, New Orleans-born magnate Arnold Grace) up for sale, though not necessarily to the highest bidder.

What both Alice and her architecture-loving realtor Raymond (Mark Stancato) hope to find is a buyer amenable to leaving Grace House’s distinctly angular lines, built-in cabinetry, and original light sconces intact, so much so that they agree to attach an “integrity rider” to the sales agreement to ensure that that “no significant structural changes” be made for at least fifteen years, no matter that said rider would be difficult at best to enforce.

Jewish architecture nerd Lawrence (Ian Riegler) and his self-described history nut wife Barbara (Michelle McGregor) seem precisely the buyers Alice is hoping for, and if what they’re offering is a hundred thousand dollars under the asking price, they would definitely give Alice’s home the loving respect that their chief competitors, successful African-American TV writer James (Sherrick O’Quinn) and his showrunner wife Cindy (Nakasha Norwood), have no intention of doing.

 Now all Raymond has to do is keep Eli (now the house’s cash-strapped deed holder) from finding out about his subterfuge.

Fortunately for Raymond, he has one major ally on his side, Grace House itself.

Listing’s cast of characters may not include Satan-lovers or the Devil’s infant spawn, but like Rosemary’s Baby before it, Brown’s play keeps its intention to serve up supernatural thrills and chills carefully hidden throughout its early scenes until slowly but surely it reveals its true intentions under Tom Lazarus’s sharp direction.

 A commanding Stancato never leaves the stage as the initially confident but increasingly frazzled Raymond, slowly but surely turning into a man possessed.

van Helsdingen’s steely Alice, McGregor and Riegler’s instantly likable Barbara and Lawrence, Sappington’s weaselly Eli, are O’Quinn and Norwood’s Hollywood-slick James and Cindy are all terrific as is Tamir Yardenne’s dynamic realtor Andre, Anibal Silveyra’s suave contractor Henry, and understudy Sarah Ivy’s no-nonsense police officer Capunay, with Bradley James Holzer (a sexy, urbane Brunner), Katyana Rocker-Cook (a lovely Harriet), and Michael Gabiano (an appropriately bombastic Arnold Grace) providing their own dramatic and sexual fireworks in a pair of flashback sequences.

 Scenic designer Jeff G. Rack does a mostly excellent job of creating Grace House’s sleek lines on a budget, but loses points for the set’s overly modern black leather furniture. Nick Foran’s sound and lighting design are his topnotch best, and though budgetary limitations preclude the more ambitious special effects specified in Brown’s script, the play’s climactic sequence still manages to shock and stun. Last but not least, Michael Mullen provides a mostly character-appropriate bevy of costumes for Listing’s large cast.

Listing is produced by David Hunt Stafford. Stevie Stern is assistant to the director.

 Plays like Strangers On A Train and It Is Done have revealed Theatre 40’s knack for staging crackerjack thrillers, and Russell Brown’s Listing can now be added to that list. The fact that its shocking twists sneak up on you only add to the excitement of this humdinger of a World Premiere.

Theatre 40, 241 S. Moreno Dr., Beverly Hills. Through February 16. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30. Sundays at 2:00.
www.Theatre40.org

–Steven Stanley
January 26, 2025
Photos: Kristin Stancato

 

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