Polaroid Stories

Playwright Naomi Iizuka has crafted a tale of the denizens of a city's seedy underbelly fused with Greek mythology in Burbage Theatre's "Polaroid Stories."

Unfortunately, despite some powerfully dramatic moments and an intriguing setting, the story doesn't quite add up to a cohesive whole.

An assortment of runaways and junkies converge under a pier, where they spend their days fighting and dreaming of a better life. Society has abandoned them like so much useless garbage.

The story unfolds in a series of vignettes showing the desperation of these deeply troubled teenagers.

Andrew Iacovelli ("Our Town") plays Skinhead Boy, an angry and violent man who wants to attack gays out of some deep-seated sense of self-loathing. He is also an addict and thief who steals a bag of pills from D (Patrick Mark Saunders), who I guess is some kind of drug lord. That detail is never made clear.

Iacovelli is fantastic, as is Saunders, who enjoy a convincing chemistry in their scenes together. There is palpable animosity between these men and it is fascinating to watch.

Orpheus (Brian Kozak) has a stormy relationship with Eurydice (Catia Ramos) who despises him.

James Lucey ("This Is Our Youth") walks away with the show as the vain and preening Narcissus, a man who cares only for his own needs and bitterly resents everyone around him. Clad in shorts and a flowery robe, Lucey commands the stage with vigor.

Allison Crews ("Shakespeare in Love") ably plays Echo, Narcissus' one woman cheering squad.

Ramos and Lynsey Ford (Persephone/Semele) also turn in solid performances as women who are fighting to find happiness.

Kate Kataja's ("Venus in Fur") direction is polished and Iacovelli's minimalist set design creates a world reeking of garbage and despair. A mini-fence on wheels is deployed at various times to dramatic effect. One scene has everyone bathed in blue light. It's great to look at but serves no real purpose.

The underlying problem with "Polaroid Stories" is a lack of follow through. Although Iacovelli and Lucey get to deliver heartfelt monologues, their characters' individual journeys go nowhere. I wanted to know more about what made them tick. There's a violent death late in the play but it lacks impact because the characters haven't been properly defined.

Iizuka doesn't seem to know whether we should hate these people or pity them. After two hours of sitting in the dark, I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel either.

We see the outcasts of society every day: in parks, train and bus stations, and out on the streets of our cities. What are their hopes and dreams? How did they end up there? This is provocative subject matter for a play but all we get here are stylized soliloquies instead of any real point of view.

In the end, "Polaroid Stories" is an unsatisfying experience given occasional jolts of life by a capable group of performers.

"Polaroid Stories" runs through May 19. Burbage Theatre Company. 249 Roosevelt Avenue. Pawtucket, RI. For tickets, go to https://www.burbagetheatre.org.