THEATER REVIEW : Hook Players’ Monologues, Bits Make for a Sketchy Evening

The Hook Players don’t disguise the showcase nature of their work. In the program for their first production, at the Richard Pryor Theater, they acknowledge that they named their group because “one needs a ‘hook’ to enter into the arena of the entertainment industry, and what better way . . . than to co-create a theater group?�

They apparently have connections and resources that many would-be showcase groups lack, however. One of the three founding members is actress Rain Pryor, daughter of the comedian after whom their venue--a mid-size theater in Hollywood--is named. And for their opening production, they’ve hired Bill Bushnell--the longtime artistic director of the late Los Angeles Theatre Center.

Bushnell, long associated with the plays of Israel Horovitz, directs two of the playwright’s brief allegorical works--sketches, really. They’re accompanied by three short monologues by members of the group. It’s a slim evening.

Horovitz’s “Rats� brings together a legendary rodent who lives in South Central--where resistance to the creatures is ineffective--and an up-and-coming rat who has made the arduous journey from Mulholland down to the greener pastures of the inner city. The newcomer discovers to his shock that the revered veteran is protecting a squalling baby from being bitten.

It’s a harsh glance at a rat-eat-rat world, somewhat softened by the “Cats�-like costumes, which make it seem more like play-acting. Bad sight lines don’t help. Much of the stage action occurs with the actors squatting at rat, or baby, level, causing audience members to continually crane their necks.

“Shooting Gallery� is easier to see. In this one, Rain Pryor plays the abused wife of a man who has spent years of his life taking aim at a bear at a carnival shooting gallery. Their kids have been forgotten as the man tries to prove his prowess as a marksman. Finally the bear and the wife take matters into their own hands. The symbolism isn’t subtle, but the piece is short enough that it doesn’t outstay its welcome. The actors have their roles firmly in hand.

* “Shooting Gallery� and “Rats,� Richard Pryor Theater, 1445 N. Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Ends Oct. 23. $10. (213) 466-2222. Running time: 1 hour, 15 minutes.