Revolution Stage Company has launched its third season with the West Coast premiere of what’s accurately billed as “a chilling, darkly funny new play about ghosts.” Point Loma, written by Palm Springs resident Tim Mulligan, was produced Off-Broadway earlier this year. It is now available for local audiences to enjoy through Oct. 11.
Jason Reale directs the well-paced show, which cleverly integrates video with live acting performances; he is also credited with designing the show’s costumes and props. Reale has assembled a stellar cast, mixing veteran actors with some newcomers who deliver a story that is always interesting, as questions mount and tensions build—right up to the final OMG surprise moment.
The play begins with a group making a podcast called Ghosting. Nick (Eric Larson), the podcast’s anchor, is in his studio and remotely communicating with his podcast medium, Kim (Yo Younger), and their partner/cameraman, Carl (Izai Meza). It is Christmas Eve, and Kim and Carl are outside a house in Omaha, Neb., where a mass murder of the residents occurred five years earlier. We hear loud noises and observe Kim being filmed by Carl—when something happens that quickly ends the podcast.
The story then shifts to a house located in Point Loma, near San Diego. We see an invalid patient and meet Anna, the day-shift nurse (Abby Kapadia). About to finish her shift, she welcomes the night-shift nurse, Chad (Ronald Douglass), and they talk about weird things—unexplained noises, doors opening—happening at the house. Anna is grateful that Chad has continued to work there despite the unnerving things happening during each shift.
We next meet Chad’s partner, Todd (Anthony Nannini). Chad, we learn, is on the verge of quitting and not going back—but Todd delights in the idea of ghosts and wants to invite the aforementioned podcasting trio to come to Point Loma.
Following her bad experience in Omaha, Kim has taken time off from dealing ghosts. Nick pleads for her to come back to the podcast, and she finally relents. The trio arrives in Point Loma with Chad and Todd.
In Act 2, we find that the invalid patient, Hank (Michael Pacas), has awakened from his coma. Meanwhile, the podcasters have decided to record the séance during which they try to communicate with the ghosts who inhabit the house. To find out what happens next, you will need to get a ticket and see for yourself.
While each actor gives us a believable character, special mention goes to Younger, who makes Kim’s feelings of danger and fear palpable. Nannini’s Todd brings just the right touch of comic relief when needed.
Joyanne Tracy’s minimalist set design works well. Technical director Nick Wass and his sound/lighting crew create an atmosphere that fits this production perfectly. A sudden loud noise, a door flying open, an object flying through the air—these things keep both the characters in the play and the audience vigilant.
During this season of ghosts and goblins, give yourself an early treat, and see Point Loma!
Point Loma will be performed at 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, through Saturday, Oct. 11, at Revolution Stage Company, 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs. Tickets are $38. For tickets or more information, visit www.revolutionstagecompany.com.
