THEATER REVIEW:One-act plays show depth and drama

The intensity of human emotion glimpsed during one segment of people's lives is the driving force behind "The Ping-Pong Players" and "Hello Out There," two one-act plays by William Saroyan at the Luna Playhouse in Glendale.

These stories demonstrate that a great amount of drama can take place in a brief period of time, both on the stage and off.

The title "The Ping Pong Players" represents both the literal and figurative activity taking place between the main characters, and I'm reminded of the 1970s song "Head Games" by the rock group Foreigner to describe their verbal match of wits.

While the table on which they play is their battleground, it's the words flung at each other that a married couple (Alex Kalognomos and Karine Chakarian) use to gain the upper hand in their relationship.

It is deep and passionate but neither is sure of the other's true commitment, and they constantly test each other.

Their primary method of communication is to quarrel, and it's only when the wife says, "Let's just stop playing this stupid game," that they are able to begin relating to each other honestly and see the "game" as it permeates their life.

In "Hello Out There," a young man (Kalognomos) traveling through a small Texas town has been locked up for allegedly raping the wife of a local resident (Jonaton Wyne).

The accused becomes friendly with the jail's cook (Chakarian), a lonely 17-year-old girl. While he is behind bars and "lonesome as a coyote," she is not much better off and clings to this stranger who might rescue her from a dead-end life.

Their mutual need to escape is the basis of forming a co-dependent relationship, long before the term became overused in modern psychology.

Powerful acting is the centerpiece of these productions, particularly notable in their contrasting requirements.

Both of the characters are strong in the first play and weak in the second, and Kalognomos and Chakarian handle the different roles masterfully and believably.

The sets are intentionally minimal, properly focusing our attention on the actions within them.

It is the ability to convey the depth of basic situations that made Saroyan one of the great dramatists of the 20th century.

The program notes accurately impart that "to fully enjoy Saroyan, either in prose or on the stage, you have to be 'with' him."

I was fortunate enough to be exposed to one of his novels in middle school years ago, so his work appeals to me.

That won't be the case for everyone, but for those who want a quick (1 hour and 15 minutes) evening of thought-provoking theater, deftly executed, it will be time well spent.