By James Petrillo, The Leader

THEATER REVIEW
A real-life crash of personalities in 'Lost'

Paul Haggis has said his recent movie "Crash" is about how Angelenos "love to divide ourselves" so much that we "manufacture differences" just to stay separated from each other.

In Sy Rosen's "The Lost, The Lonely, and The Devastated," we meet human beings actually desperate to connect as long as they don't lose their identity.

Isolation and desperation and the primal need for intimacy and approval from other people are themes running all through the two brutally comedic one-act plays that comprise Rosen's "The Lost, The Lonely, and The Devastated."

Now playing at the Sidewalk Studio Theatre in Burbank, it's the latest edgy production from the 3KO Broadway Theatre Company.

Close proximity to the minuscule stage immediately plunges viewers deep into the fringe-dwelling lives of these sad but hopeful characters.

But there's enough dark wit and genuine emotion to imbue these otherwise slight plays with a bit of gravitas.
The first one-act is "The Interview," the brief but touching story of 29-year-old, mentally challenged Jackie (Melissa Bailey) and her ongoing psychological battle with social worker David (Steve Ferguson).

It's so unique and surprising, to give away certain aspects of the plot would ruin the enjoyment.

Just know that whatever direction you think it's going, and especially if you think it's on the verge of being inappropriate, you'll end up more than satisfied with the resolution.

Keep an eye on Ben Kenber and Scott Vinci as two of Jackie's friends at her workshop -- what they do with a computer keyboard is killer.

" The Miracle Group," the meatier one-act that follows, introduces us one-by-one to a support group whose only purpose is to discuss miracles that have happened in their lives.

How each participant defines his or her experience as a miracle becomes more and more twisted as the night progresses.
After spending enough time at the meeting with these characters, you'll want to get up yourself and announce a miracle you might have experienced.

I won't get into the fact that you might actually have a chance to do it.

Some truly bizarre events lead gradually to a satisfying conclusion that will make you think twice about always judging a book by its cover.

Most of the actors play a different part in each one-act. Each manages to perfectly fit certain stereotypes visually, though some aren't as convincing verbally. Luckily, the few that rock the house make up for those who don't.

As adorable as Bailey is playing Jackie in "The Interview," she's equally infuriating playing spunky punker Clementine in "The Miracle."

As funny as Scott Brady is as the clueless airline food service boss who interviews Jackie, he adds depth to the laughs as the Lothario Bill, especially when you discover what he really yearns for.

Also memorable in the second one-act are Amy Oldham's big-eyed wonder as the group leader and Christina Diaz as a cynical chain smoker who lands in the miracle group by mistake.

Her transformation over the course of the play mirrored my own skepticism gradually fading away as these oddballs won me over.

David Jay Barry's sound effects and music are spectacular for such a small venue, but one thing didn't work as well.

" The Miracle Group" contains a completely unnecessary intermission smack dab in the middle.

It deadens the impact of shocking revelations unveiled at the end and messes with the momentum director Steve Ferguson has expertly built.

* JAMES PETRILLO is a screenwriter and actor from Glendale.