Lawson Taitte

One of the Festival of Independent Theatres' problems is coming up with good material. Apparently, the list of first-rate one-acts is not endless, as the two final entrants in the 2008 festival demonstrate.

LARA SOLT/DMN

Kent Williams (left) and Tom Parr IV act out a scene from A Murder by William Inge, presented Saturday by PublicWorks Theatre at the Bath House Cultural Center.

If the name of the distinguished American playwright William Inge arouses expectation of deep drama, A Murder will disappoint. This little piece might remind you of a weaker episode of The Twilight Zone, if it's not a weak parody of Kafka or Ionesco. I'm not at all sure it's worth doing, but PublicWorks Theatre does as well by it as anyone could.

A landlady (Catherine Hopkins) is showing a man (Kent Williams) a room for rent. She asks the strangest questions, and he gives equally odd replies. His own requirement is a strong lock for his closet. After much wrangling, the landlady agrees to send up the houseman (Tom Parr IV), who turns out to be sinister but surprisingly dapper.

Ms. Hopkins also co-directed with Julie Bice. They encase the little tale in mock-foreboding narration, like an old radio serial, with music to match. Ms. Hopkins' character seems the most confusing, or maybe she hasn't decided exactly what direction it's supposed to go. Mr. Williams is elegant in his forlorn vacuity, Mr. Parr wonderfully droll as he utters the houseman's philosophical non sequiturs. Someone should adapt the Rex Stout novels for him; he'd make a great Nero Wolfe.

Kafka also comes to mind with Vaclav Havel's Audience performed by Theatre Quorum. Mr. Havel, the playwright who became the Czech Republic's first post-Cold War president, is a national hero. The few pieces of his I've seen have not convinced me that he's all that great a writer, though.

This is one of a series of plays featuring the playwright's comic alter ego, Vanek, here played by Nye Cooper. Vanek has been consigned to a blue-collar job in a brewery, and the foreman (Carl Savering) has called him to his office. The foreman drinks nonstop and gives out broad hints that Vanek is being watched, while Vanek veers between hope for a better job and fear of political reprisals.

Mr. Savering and Mr. Cooper are too talented and experienced to fail to keep us entertained. But it's surprising that director Cynthia Hestand, usually so good at grounding comedy in reality, hasn't helped them ditch the shtick and find some real people under the jokes.

Then again, maybe Mr. Havel hasn't written any real people.

PLAN YOUR LIFE The Festival of Independent Theatres at the Bath House Cultural Center through Aug. 9. Festival passes $49 to $69, individual tickets $12 to $16. TITAS at 214-528-5576, www.bathhousecultural.com.

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