Shallow characters blemish TAG’s timely ‘Parallel Realities’

When a Hawaii resident writes a story set in the islands, it’s natural to wonder how closely the fictional characters are drawn from life.

Which television executives may have been on Joe Moore’s mind when he wrote "Dirty Laundry" in 2003? Who among Hawaii’s public relations people may be the real-life counterparts of the characters in John Wythe White’s new social satire, "Parallel Realities," now on stage at The Actors Group Theatre?

With Hawaii in the middle of one of the nastiest political campaigns in memory, TAG couldn’t have picked a better time to pre­sent it.

White writes in the playbill that he came up with the name of fictional PR firm Pacific Resource "many years ago" and that it is no more related to the anti-Ben Caye­tano political action committee formed by the construction trades group Pacific Resource Partnership "than I am to its executive director, John White."

Fair enough, but given the content of some recent political ads, the playwright’s statement that "PR firms aren’t as blatantly deceitful as I portray them" seems open to challenge.

Many of White’s sharpest comments on the subject come early as veteran PR weasel Margo Parrish (Aiko Chinen) and her boss, Ted Peabody (Ron Heller), explain the facts of life to a down-on-her-luck new hire, Julie Gunderson (Eden Ferrer).

The prime directive? "The truth is irrelevant."

Julie quickly embraces that mantra and uses it effectively in developing several successful campaigns. However, when Margo claims credit for one of her ideas, Julie decides to get revenge by sabotaging a big account.

Playwright White establishes early the theme that some PR people are enemies of truth and, therefore, enemies of the people of Hawaii. The local setting and references to real-life issues such as the uncontrolled rusting of Aloha Stadium, sewage spills, visitor industry problems and the blocking of beach access make White’s argument hard to challenge — at least in view of the way some of those issues have been spun by PR people here.

What "Parallel Realities" needs is an hero comparable to news anchor Bryce Edwards, Joe Moore’s alter ego in "Dirty Laundry." Margo and Ted are shallow, two-dimensional villains with no redeeming qualities, but it’s hard to respect, let alone identify with, Julie, who accepts the money and then coldbloodedly betrays her employer and a client who appears more benign than some of the others the company has served with no apparent qualms. And all because your boss took the credit for one of your ideas?

As Margo puts it: "Why didn’t you just quit?"

White and director David C. Farmer add entertainment value with the use of original video clips of (fictional) newscasts and commercials. Katherine Aumer and S. Rick Crump are surprisingly believable in their video roles as local-style television news anchors. Troy Apostol has a hilarious spot as a stereotypical "local" thug in a public service announcement calling for better treatment of minorities (in other words, Caucasians) in Hawaii. The other ads, public service announcements and news clips are imaginative and entertaining.