“Hugging The Shoulder” plays at the Ruby Theater in Hollywood’s “The Complex”.  Celebrating now from it successful New York run. A tough show on addiction, family and releasing your demons before it’s too late.

Story centers on two brothers, “Derrick”, played by Daniel Pawlowski, and “Jeremy”, played by Kevin Patrick Murphy.  Derrick decides to kidnap his brother for an improvised intervention to save him from his drug addiction.  On the road, they're faced to resolve decades of baggage and more current conflicts caused by Jeremy’s co-dependent girlfriend.  Is it too late?  Can they ease the pain?

Right off the bat, we have to acknowledge the location.  Hollywood’s The Complex is known for modest production values but often strong performances.  Sometimes vulnerable, sometimes risqué, always provocative.  That’s what you expect from The Complex, that’s what you get from the select performers who shine there.

The Faces

In many respects, that’s what “Hugging The Shoulder” delivers. Kevin Patrick Murphy steals the stage every chance he gets.  His character is sexier, crazier, more fun.  He is Tyler Durden.   Pure id, everything is for the moment.  But when Murphy’s range comes out, that’s the real trickery.  Everyone likes the fun guy.  But as “Celebrity Rehab” has taught us, it’s not always easy to watch someone fall.  To watch them dive and hit the ground in an ugly way.  Kudos to Mr. Murphy who allows us to see the edges of the character that we need in order to embrace.

He does what he wants and someone else cleans up the pieces.  And maybe that someone else is “Derrick”, the younger brother played by Daniel Pawlowski.  Pawlowski’s job is difficult, he plays straight-man to Murphy’s take-no-prisoners performance.  He’s always cleaning up, while playing limbo as he handles learning the truth of his “big bro”.  Their chemistry is too muted, not enough raw nerves considering the context.

Kristen Hall’s “Christy” pulls us away from the main plotline.  We see flashbacks of the brothers with her as well as witnessing Jeremy’s addiction start.  She’s a bit of an anomaly.  Seductively attractive, yet her energy is young and innocent.  A dangerous combination for a woman entangled with a drug-addicted man.

Brian Rudd plays a competent “Police Officer”.  These tiny parts are often given the least attention, which is a shame.  Rudd has a great face and we’d like to see him do more.

Text on the Page

All three main performances suffer from script-based issues.  Jerrod Bogard’s pages are a disappointment.  Safe. Vanilla. He chose a very brave subject and then sadly chose very easy-out answers in how to solve it all.

Addiction is a raging beast and Murphy’s character doesn’t hit the notes.  It feels false. Pawlowski’s performance plays the closest to real, but his character is also the softest.  Finally is Hall.  A lovely actress given a cardboard cut-out character.  Her role is admittedly a plot device.  But she is given no room to work, no reason to be, other than a distraction.  And that’s how it feels – distracting.

Scott Brown’s direction is twisty.  Using a car for the main plot and a couch/love seat combo for the other, Brown’s staging literally paints itself into a corner.  How many ways can you re-arrange those scenarios.  The answer I believe he wants, is for the audience to focus on the eyes.  But these words don’t bring the dynamics needed to give us what we need.

Sidenote: Best in LA

One element that almost every small LA theater fails with, this production perfects.  It’s a technical thing, but it was perfect.  Their video projection.  I know this sounds petty, but it worked well, complimented the story, the production and was appreciated. It was simply a projected video screened on a fabric stretched across the back of the stage.  It gave ambience, setting and a breath of fresh air for this roadtrip.  Well done!

Costume design and props were designed by Sarah Levin.  Cari Shanks’ set design was minimal but effective.  Liam Bucci and Anthony Treme engineered the set.  Mr. Treme also created the artwork.  Live music in act 2 was by “The Shapes”.

“Hugging the Shoulder” plays at The Complex in Hollywood through the November 23 weekend. Thurs. at 8, Fri. & Sat. at 9, Sun. at 8. West Coast Premiere.

For tickets and more information, please call: 323-252-2042
Ruby Theatre at the Complex, 6476 Santa Monica Blvd/Wilcox Ave.

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