Writing for Us

Jerome Sable (front) and Eli Batalion (rear) Photograph: Katie Hawkins

When Jerome Sable and Eli Batalion take the stage they hardly seem like the masterminds of a rap Hip-Hopera. They look more like Ivy League intellectuals in dress shirt and tie -- -in fact, they are, having attended Brown University in Rhode Island. It's hard to imagine how they will pull off a night that promises break dancing, hip-hop, R&B, and a scratch DJ, all in a retelling of the biblical stories of Job and Cain and Abel. Thankfully, they not only accomplish what they promise, they provide an entertaining and original night that , rivals most standard theater fare.

Sable and Batalion introduce themselves as Louis Saphire 1 and 2, our narrators of the evening (quoted above), and Hoover Records as the equivalent of Satan. The devil leads the way into a world of deception, disregarded talent and illusion, a place where two white intellectuals can play the entire staff of a recording empire, and have us hanging on their every word… or syllable as the case may be.

Sable and Batalion take Job, a God fearing man who is punished to prove his everlasting faith, add in the brother against brother Cain and Abel story for a show that resonates perfectly with the back stabbing and competition ridden Los Angeles entertainment world. The s two intersecting plots connect as the beginning walks us through the different floors of Hoover Records and introduces the characters as well as the feel of the piece, getting us used to Sable and Batalion switching roles as well as their storytelling tactics, rhythms and beats.

At the top of Hoover Records, Job Lowe (cleverly pronounced: Jo Blow) wants to change the face of hip hop, and help his company beat out competing record label "Phony Records" by signing new talent that hasn't been overly commercialized. Meanwhile, MC Cain and MC Abel work in the jingle department, the bottom floor of Hoover. As they try to come up with a jingle for "Speedy Brite" and "The Clutch" they rap to each other about staying true to their roots while moving up the corporate ladder.

Sable and Batalion shine in all the roles, from Cain and Abel, to Job Lowe and boss Hoover. Batalion is a laugh a minute in his rendition of Ali Fashid, head of "Gangstafication." Adopting an Indian accent, and with hands held out around an imaginary belly, he raps lines such as, "They're like PinNOchio, I'm like GePETto/ Make it seem like they're all from the ghetto" to hilarious effect.

The talented duo transform into each of the characters so seamlessly that you forget which actor you are watching. The accents and physical movements are so polished that both Sable and Batalion can play all the characters without causing disruption in continuity. Luckily, they also know their strengths. While Batalion excels at Fashid and Eleanor Hoover (the intern) to the result of many laughs ("I photoCOPY, I bring 'em coffee.") Sable is especially convincing as Job Lowe and MC Cain. His final speech as the latter ends the show with power and resonance.

This Los Angeles incarnation of the show is the first to feature an ensemble. They possess the phenomenal talent of being able to both break dance and act. Sable and Batalion create comedy with their singing and dancing, but it's the gravity defying moves and exceptional stage presence from those in the background that push the show from being great to stellar.

Although tightening before the half way point would avoid having the pace lag due to the repetitious nature of the biblical tales, the energy is soon restored with an intermission-like interruption from our narrators, the Saphires, who recap the plot, should we have missed any of the verse, and who turn up the beat with a clever spinning war, where each tries to outdo the other (spinning provided by DJ Creativity in the background, an obvious master).

The lighting design brings a polished, professional feel to the show, and takes us out of the small theater setting and into the high tech world. Unlike much fringe theater, the Hip-Hopera is not limited by its intimate surroundings. Instead, it blows them away with music, lights and impeccable direction by Stefan Novinski and Hassan Christopher. The industrial, metallic set works perfectly to ground us in the cold corporate business world of Hoover Records. Novinski, who also directed a daring and inventive interpretation of Medea earlier this year at the Boston Court in Pasadena, seems at home combining ensemble work and stark realism with a show featuring song and dance. By adding these elements the play achieves not only the comedy but the moments of levity with startling power.

When all is said and done, directors Novinski and Christopher have a true accomplishment on their hands. But it's Sable and Batalion who should be handed "props" for this bold and daring reinvention of sacred tales with an appropriately modern twist. What you take of the ending and the biblical metaphors is up to you, but it is impossible not to recognize that the writer/actors are masters of verse.

Reviews which have compared Sable & Batalion to Sondheim and Shakespeare seem over the top -- until you hear them in person and realize that the comparisons are strikingly apt. The two have a gift, and have chosen to present it in the best possible form, a sensationally entertaining Hip Hopera that both mesmerizes and captivates.

SABLE & BATALION'S J.O.B THE HIP-HOPERA Playwright: Jerome Sable & Eli Batalion Director: Stefan Novinski and Hassan Christopher Choreographer: Hassan Christopher Cast (Sat. 10/30/05): Eli Batalion, Jerome Sable, Nikkema Taylor, Shawn Beck-Gifford, Marissa Labog, Naomi Rhoads, Aimee Zannoni, Hassan Christopher Set Design: Donna Marquet Lighting Design: Steven Young Costumer Design: Miguel Montalvo Sound Design: Joe Barrucco, Matt Carpenter, Marin Carrillo, Sable & Batalion Running Time: 1 hour 45 minutes, no intermission Dates: Friday, October 28 through Sunday, November 27. Thursday-Sunday at 8 pm, Saturday matinee at 3 pm. Stella Adler Theatre, 6772 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028 Tickets: $20-$30. 323-960-4420 or www.sableandbatalion.com Reviewed by Ariana Mufson on 10/30/05.