Play aims big with silly yet serious plot
Have you ever wondered what the walls around you would say if they could talk? The age-old question is finally answered in Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake). Having an apartment cast as a role in the play is only the tip of the iceberg in this bizarre and dramatic comedy by Sheila Callaghan and now playing at Theatre 68 in Hollywood.
Cat lady · Julianna Bolles-Morrison plays Barbara, an aunt who cares for 57 cats, in Crumble (Lay Me Down Justin Timberlake), a dark comedy centered on a family struggling to recover after the death of a loved one. – Courtesy of Crystal Mande
Crumble, which blends original plot devices — the personified apartment and dream-like appearances of teen idols Justin Timberlake and Harrison Ford — investigates how a family grieves and how they will stop at nothing to restore order in their lives. Though it’s a bit kooky, the compelling mother-daughter-apartment relationship will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Crumble follows the life of twisted and disturbed Janice (Shelly Hacco), as she and her eternally fretting mother Clara (Heidi Rhodes) struggle to come to terms with the shocking death of Janice’s father one year prior.
They sometimes receive advice from Aunt Barbara (Julianna Bolles-Morrison), who draws her extensive parenting advice from caring for her 57 cats. Their story is accompanied by the Apartment, played by Stephen Kline, a lovable but diabolical presence that pleads with them to repair him, while also threatening to destroy their world.
The most haunting moments are centered around Hacco, who plays a convincing 11-year old oddball who creates satanic tea parties for her dolls. It is difficult for the audience to relate to her demented conversations with herself and the twisted plan involving chemicals and thermometers, which is never fully explained until it is too late. Part of this can be blamed on the writing, as her dialogue and behavior seems unrealistic for a girl barely out of elementary school, if even. Hacco commits well, but the character leaves many unanswered questions.
Rhodes and Bolles-Morrison as the mother and aunt, are sympathetic characters in the play. Both deeply care for and are concerned about Janice, but express this in different ways. Unfortunately, both actors are unable to transform their characters. Clara is portrayed as weepy and incapable, and Barbara is way too crazy to be considered a reliable source of advice. It leaves the audience even more concerned for Janice, as she has only these two insufficient guardians.
The most entertaining and relatable character is, surprisingly, not a person at all, but rather the Apartment. Kline is no “wall” flower — his extremely physical performance has him coming in through the ceiling, perched on top of mantles, crawling from under the floorboards and popping out of cabinets. His entrances provide a nice sense of stability, just as his stubborn comments help anchor the other characters as they spiral out of control.
The set adds to the performances, depicting several rooms in varying stages of disrepair. The house is supposed to be a grand mansion that has fallen from grace. It is very detailed and cluttered but doesn’t seem polished. There is a feeling of cramped creepiness; it not just a large mansion that hasn’t been painted in a while. Still, the theater should be applauded for its creative use of space, as it is clear the stage is quite small.
The choice of music between scenes forces the audience to remain fixed in the “creepy” mood of the play. The odd, dissonant futuristic tones do nothing to further the story, instead reminding the audience that this is a weird situation. It furthers the one-dimensional performances of the actors and keeps it from becoming a full and layered production.
But these critiques are not to say the production was not entertaining. Audience members sat at the edge of their seats to find out what happens with Janice’s devious secret plan.
There are some wonderful comic moments with the Apartment and the interactions with the imagined versions of Justin Timberlake/Harrison Ford, but there are also touching scenes between mother and daughter. It brings everyone back to their own preteen years, struggling to come to terms with so many aspects of life.
Strip the play of all its craziness and universal struggles emerges that everyone deals with: death and discovering what it means to love. At the end of the day, Crumble is a coming-of-age story about the power of love: love for a celebrity, love for your family, love for your home and love for your own life.
Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake) runs through May 18 at Theatre 68 in Hollywood, Calif.