‘Balcony’ Bares More Than Genet

Jean Genet’s challenging drama “The Balcony” attempts to show how pretentious social institutions are mirrored in the fantasies acted out at a high-class brothel. The harrowing verbiage and ritualistic nature of this piece aren’t easily conquered, and this City Garage presentation jiggles its way laboriously through just over three hours.

It’s a French sex play that doesn’t really titillate despite the sometimes gratuitous nudity (mostly bared breasts).

Madame Irma (Strawn Bovee) keeps her brothel running in an unknown, war-torn country by giving special favors to the chief of police (Richard Grove). Her patrons wish to be cultural icons, such as a judge (Gustav Vintas), a bishop (Joel Drazner) or a general (Stephen Pocock). The chief of police wants to become an icon, feared and admired and requested by a client.

Director Frederique Michel over-choreographs the actors’ movements, which, along with their tendency to address the audience when speaking to the person behind them, is more distracting than effective.

In the second act, suddenly Michel introduces a comedic touch, with overly bright and chipper envoys (Craig Samuel Parish and Anna Pond) roving around with synchronized pseudo-Groucho Marx gaits. If only the rest of the production had a lighter touch, then perhaps the tedium would have been more forgivable.

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* “The Balcony,” City Garage, 1340 1/2 4th St., Santa Monica. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 5:30 p.m. Ends April 26. $20; Sundays, pay-what-you-can. (310) 319-9939. Running time: 3 hours, 15 minutes.