Born in a Trunk

Sometimes being born in a trunk can be a problem, if not a little crowded. Such is the case for the members of a theatrical family living "Just 45 Minutes from Broadway," which is the title of the new play written by Henry Jaglom and directed by Gary Imhoff, currently playing at the Edgemar Center For the Arts in Santa Monica, California.

The highly engaging play centers around a cast of memorable characters who have spent their lives on the stage, and who share the same house in Upstate New York. An older daughter who had gone out on her own comes back with a surprise or two for the family, and as it turns out, for herself.

And speaking of the house, or stage setting, it is fabulous. Designed by award winning set designer Joel Daavid, the house has character of its own. Divided into several sections including the dining room, living room, a bedroom, the attic, and an outside patio, the scenes change just by the cast moving to another area of the stage. The sheer detail in the set dressing is mind-blowing.

The Isaacs have lived in the old house for many years. George Isaacs, the patriarch of the family, affectionately called Grisha, had been a child star in the Yiddish theatre. He went on to become famous on the English-speaking stage as well, but his star power is setting while his hypochondria is rising. Jack Heller plays the hypochondriac with great compassion and humor, especially when the venerable old actor realizes the starring parts will no longer be coming his way and that he needs sleeping pills to get him through the night, along with his favorite almond cookies.

There is a bittersweet moment between him and his wife when he frantically searches for the boxes of theatre memorabilia she had moved and he says that he needs to preserve those things or else how will anyone know he was ever alive?

Grisha is married to the vivacious Vivian Cooper played by the equally spirited Diane Louise Salinger. Whenever the going gets a little rough, she rallies the family with her strong-willed personality. And due to bad economic times and few theatrical jobs, there is a lot of rallying to be done. Salinger does an exquisite job bringing the right amount of sizzle to the party.

One of the people Vivian needs to cheer up is her brother, Larry, played with great charm by David Proval. Larry has a bit part in Guys and Dolls playing at a local dinner theater. He knows he can do better than his current gig, but he admits that sometimes the breaks just don´t come your way - ever.

Also staying in the house is Sally Brooks, and old friend of Vivian´s. Harriet Schock plays her with a mixture of joy and pathos since Sally´s life is filled with happy little stories that always turn tragic. But Sally has a secret that is shared with another member of this unusual family that could really rock their world.

The heart of the story centers around Grisha and Vivian´s two daughters, Pandora and Betsy. As different as night and day, the two girls grew up on the stage, but their views of their lives are totally opposite.

Pandora, the youngest, and a scene stealer from an early age, loves her life in the theater even though at the moment her love life has crashed and burned, and she has moved back in with her parents. An actor´s dream part, Tanna Frederick takes this volatile role from staggering highs to heart wrenching lows, always with a little hint that maybe Pandora just might be "over acting."

And acting is what the other sister, Betsy, played by talented Julie Davis, says her goofy family, and especially her sister, are always doing, and she couldn´t get away from the nuttiness fast enough and become what they call a "civilian." She escaped the madhouse only to come back with a "normal" boyfriend and a plan that just might change everyone´s life forever.

What Betsy likes about the new guy in her life, Jimmy Halkin, a top-flight financial advisor who promises to "put people together with their dreams," played by David Garver, is the fact he doesn´t act. But Jimmy has a secret of his own that shows that not all actors need the stage. His tale is poignantly delivered and the dream he has planned for Betsy just might not be his dream.

Each person is looking for something to make his or her life complete, but what they want on the surface hides a deeper need below. These eccentric characters deliver a heartwarming story not to be missed.

The play runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 5:00 p.m. now through December 20. The theater will be dark Thanksgiving weekend.

Admission: $25. Reservations: (310) 392-7327 or online www.edgemarcenter.org

Edgemar Center for the Arts: 2437 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Parking is available onsite (fee charged); also metered parking in Lot 11, across the street from Peet´s Coffee.