Grand Delusion

 Grand Delusion is a new play by David Rock that just opened at The Lost Studio in Hollywood. Rock is inspired by the famous The Guns of August, as well as the even better known movie by Jean Renoir, Grand Illusion.  The play takes place in the year 1914 in the days leading up to the outbreak of W.W.I. It imagines a secret clandestine meeting of world leaders as they bicker, fight, plot, play ego games, and generally act like madmen. The result is of course, the epic First World War that left millions dead and that paved the way for W.W.II.

     The play is a dark and biting view of world politics and what can happen when the maniacs are in charge. Sound familiar? Playwright Rock mixes vaudeville, slapstick, and grotesque comedy to make his points. The results are an uneven theatrical event looking for a style.
     Director Larry Biederman has gathered a group of fairly well known actors to fill the roles. Tmothy Omundson plays the slimy Count Rumpledorf who is constantly being bested by the other characters. In the first scene he contracts herpes from Eric Streetstone who plays the slightly effeminate General Foufou from France. His Foufou is a bully and utterly silly and the least successful character. Lee didn’t seem to find a consistent character so we always see him working.

     More successful are the portrayals of Kurt Fuller is the egocentric Kaiser Wilhelm and Xander Berkeley as Czar Nicholas II. Kurt Fuller is an expert comedian who makes the most of the Kaiser. Xander Berkeley is, I think, the most successful in bringing to life The Czar. His Czar is insane be some how makes sense. All the actors are required to act as broadly as possible and often seem to lose their way, Perhaps this unsteadiness will get better as the performances continue.

     Amanda Detmer scores big as the Duchess of Shrewsbury. She was sexy and very amusing. Last but not least there is the handsome Brad Raider who has to acts the straight man to all this zaniness He plays Padnov the tramp from Russia He holds his own nicely and has a few dramatic moments that put into perspective the coming tragedy. Special mention here for the guy who moved all the furniture ( Tim Banning) and has a great makeup job as the dead Archduke Ferdinand. He throws himself into his tasks with full vigor.