Laundry and Bourbon and Lone Star by Carol Kaufman Segal

            Laundry and Bourbon and Lone Star are two one-act plays written by James McLure and directed by Barbara Brownell  The two plays  have a commonality which is a good reason for them being presented together.  They both take place in a small town in Texas and the characters in each play are related in one way or another.  Though each play is a comedy, they focus on the lives and problems of those involved.

            Laundry and Bourbon takes place at the home of Elizabeth (Savannah Schoenecker) where we find her, seemingly, in a worried stage, unable to keep her mind on getting her laundry done, when her friend Hattie (Kristin Towers-Rowles) drops by to gossip.  As they hark back to their more youthful days before their marriages, they begin to imbibe when Amy Lee (Sarah Zuk) arrives, only to gloat over her less fortunate friends.  Before long, their conversations become so fueled, they end up in a brawl, leaving Elizabeth and Hattie alone to complete the laundry job.

            Lone Star focuses on Ray (R.J. DeBard), Elizabeth’s husband, a Vietnam Veteran who is showing some signs of being unsettled.  (Now we are aware of what put Elizabeth in a worried state.)  Ray and his frivolous brother Roy (Christopher Showerman) are hanging around at the local bar where, as they become more intoxicated, they begin to reminisce about their lives and their loves.  Fired up from too much drinking, Ray has a row with his adversary, Cletus (Todd Andrew Ball).  After Cletus leaves, Roy, in his inebriated state, makes a startling confession to Ray.

            Though I have tried to describe the reasoning for these plays, the overly raucous comedy in each of them, took away any of the enjoyment for me.  Unfortunately, I could not appreciate the hard work of the talented performers.  Chris Winfield’s fine set worked for both plays with a bit of adjustment.   

            Laundry and Bourbon and Lone Star plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 2 PM, through March 3, at the Lonny Chapman Theatre, 10900 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood.  For information and/or tickets, call (818) 763-5990, or go online at www.thegrouprep.com.