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Mark (Tait Ruppert), Al (John Bigham), Gabe (Guerin Barry) and Skip (Bruce Katzman) pushed, shoved, kicked, heaved or just plain tossed you back to their version of the “60s  in NoHo Arts Center’s “That Perfect Moment”. Of course, Sarah (Kelly Lester), Mark’s wife, fed up with her husband’s tight grip on yesterday, gave the audience a vivid picture of living with and loving an intelligent, capable man who sacrifices their present life together because he cannot stop himself from constantly looking back. “What might have been” vs.” “what has been” is tantalizing to dream about but it can also hide the value of “what is”. Listening to each of the quad re-live their version of the glory days of their one hit as the musical group, the Weeds, could have sunk into a morass of four drawn-out monologues on then and now. However in the hands of these four professionals, the ride was poignant, fun, wild, sad and realistic but never boring.
On the tiny stage that Adam Flemming (set and projection designer) used to it fullest  potential, Mr. Ruppert drew a compelling picture of what the Weeds could still accomplish if he could only get them back together. Putting his energy into getting a gig for the group and dragging them into his plan hit snags as each man answered Mark’s summons and showed up at his home. Recognizing what really counts in life is a complex process no matter when it takes place in life and watching Mark grow really made the play. Mr. Bigham showed up first and his adroit portrayal of the gentle hippie turned chiropractor sometimes made you smile as he skirted but did not cross into overblown territory. Mr. Barry’s quips and wry observations hid the real essence of Gabe. So much so that when you did learn about the real man, it was simply amazing to watch the unfoldment. Finally Mr. Katzman rolled in with his high energy self-made man persona and the games began, especially since he had no idea what was really going on.
Rick Sparks (director) deftly managed his cast around the small stage without missing a beat. Combine that with the ability of the four members of the Weeds to involve the audience in paying attention to each of them as the men they are today not just their glory days of the 60s; and you had an absorbing night of theatre regardless of your age.
Presented by Theatre Planners at the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood. 8. Fri.–Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m. (323) 960-7745.
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