By HEATHER RICH Special to the Daily Press
Midwesterners Carl and Laura Goodman are brimming with anticipation at the prospect of owning an orange grove in Los Angeles. With their twin infants in tow, they journey from Nebraska to “Los Angel-ees” in hopes of making their fortune in the new melodramatic “Golden Prospects.”
Of course, starry-eyed Carl is swiftly swindled out of the family’s $10,000 nest egg by a larcenist worm who convinces him that a field of cactus are, in fact, “orange bushes.”
At the realization that he is now completely broke, poor Carl drops dead on the spot, leaving his innocent wife and children to fend for themselves in early 20th Century Los Angeles. Not the easiest place for a bunch of transplanted Cornhuskers to maneuver.
What follows is an exquisite blend of tragic comedy, incorporating everything from opium to incest to botched suicide attempts in hilarious fashion.
The acting is superb, perfectly overdone to fit the genre. The actors’ grand gestures explore every inch of joy, pain and desperation — of which there is plenty. All of these emotions are wonderfully complimented by live piano music.
The audience is encouraged to express their sentiment by cheering the heroes and booing the villains. This adds a genuine feel to the time, as the play is inspired by the few true melodramas of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Throughout the performance, the audience can feel the undercurrent of comparison to everyday life in Los Angeles, as mentioned by writer and director Colin Campbell.
Campbell earned an Oscar nomination in 2001 for his short film, “Seraglio.” His script for “Golden Prospects” was recently awarded the Janet & Maxwell Salter playwriting award.
The play itself does not hold back in poking fun at the expensive, crowded, gas-guzzling city Los Angeles has become, nor does it censor itself in terms of our dependency on and thirst for oil.
The script is smart and witty in a conspicuous manner and the actors are compelling. I found myself near the edge of my seat on several occasions. Were it not for the dialogue, you might truly believe you were watching an old silent film in the early 1900s.
“Golden Prospects” runs Friday through Sunday nights until March 6, and tickets are $20.
For more information, call (310) 572- 6748, or visit www.powerhousetheatre.com.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 20, 2004. Read the original PDF.