South Coast Repertory’s production of Shipwrecked: An Entertainment, The Amazing Adventures of Louis De Rougemont (As Told By Himself) claims to be an examination of the nature of truth. Eh, not so much.Yes, Shipwrecked: An Entertainment, The Amazing Adventures of Louis De Rougemont (As Told By Himself) is about a master storyteller, the stories he tells and the stories we want to believe, but the bit about whether any of it is actually true pops up just at the end and isn’t so much examination as punctuation.

What this production imparts is not so much the nature of truth/story but the value of the teller. I’m not talking about playwright Donald Marguilies but the play’s three actors, starting with Gregory Itzin, who plays the title character. From the moment Itzin addresses the audience directly—something I’m not a fan of, but he does it so naturally, so truthfully, you know you’re in capable hands. It’s not really a surprise since Itzin, who is funny and masterful giving a performance that blurs the line between where his art ends and the writing begins, is a veteran actor best known to many as President Charles Logan on TV’s 24.

It’s the performances of supporting actors Melody Butlu and Daniel Cassady that are a revelation. When first they stand aside Itzin they seem overmatched, acting interns; but once things get going, they throw themselves into bringing to life all manner of characters of varying ages, races and species—Cassady’s dog really must be seen, and heard, to be believed; funny and compelling, the dog’s fate provides one of the most emotionally charged moments of the evening.

In the end, Shipwrecked: An Entertainment, The Amazing Adventures of Louis De Rougemont (As Told By Himself), isn’t so much about truth, but, because of the performers, is amazing and entertaining and has a really long title. A real win-win.

Tags: shipwrecked, south coast repertory, Theater