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Jimmy Christ at The Space Theatre. (theater review) T.H. McCulloh

05/30/2002 Back Stage West

It sounds like a neat outrageous idea: a play about Jesus Christ's "less cool younger brother." The reality is a mistake even one of the older brother's miracles couldn't correct. In a television-oriented mush of bad old jokes played like outtakes from Leave It to Beaver, playwright Nicholas Monahan takes a totally sophomoric view of the Holy Family that from beginning to end is infantile and dull. Why this company chose to do it boggles the imagination.

The younger characters--Jesus, Jimmy, and Jimmy's clunky friend Kevin (Wally Cleaver had one, too)--call one another "dude." Jesus is the local phat cat, a soccer hero who is adored for his parlor tricks like curing lepers and turning water into wine. The only thing he hasn't done is cure Jimmy's clubfoot, leaving the kid paranoid and suffering from an inferiority complex, which is what he deserves. Joseph and Mary fight like the Honeymooners about everything, especially Jesus' father, and finally insist that Jesus set up a double date to get 16-year-old Jimmy into the swing of things.

There are no commercials to relieve the tedium, no other channel to switch to, and under Panos Koronis' diddling direction this all seems to go on forever. He allows his actors to wander willy-nilly while other actors are speaking, and his sense of timing dulls what laughs the script might get, such as Jimmy's one funny joke about the Greek boy who didn't want to go into the world and leave his brother's behind (rim shot, please). Koronis' lack of form also doesn't help Monahan's eventual switch from juvenile humor to a sort of maudlin seriousness near the end.

The performances are generally on a par with the script. Ron Petronicoios' Jimmy is at least legible with an edge of humor, as is Benjamin Dodge's ditzy Kevin, but Mark Hart's Jesus is played sort of like Tom Cruise on Quaaludes, much too "dude" for his own good. Sunny Hawks, whose credits read, "She's one crazy broad," plays Mary that way, and Pete Punito's dull Joseph is much too serious to come anywhere near the rest of the dumbness. Lindley Gibbs and Noelle Barbari are truly sitcom as the sisters Jesus sets up, and Tommy Culavito as their snotty Uncle Tobbit just looks at the audience and mugs.

"Jimmy Christ, "presented by and at the Space Theatre, 665 N. Heliotrope, Hollywood. Fri.-Sun. 8 p.m. May 24-June 23. $15. (323) 414-5400.

First they molested the wives of 3rd-rate playwrites and then threw them into cells and had layers of cops lie about it, but I didn't say anything because I wasn't a 3rd-rate playwrite...

Nice to see you have your priorities in order.

playwright Nicholas Monahan takes a totally sophomoric view of the Holy Family that from beginning to end is infantile and dull.

Looks like this "airport" piece of, uh-hum, "writing" found a more receptive audience. Of course, those who believe him don't have the $15. to spend on any upcoming play. Hey, forget the play and sue! Lousy playwrights gotta eat, too.