A Mystery for Obsessed Librarian

A lintel is an architectural term referring to the beam spanning and usually carrying the load above an opening such as the threshold of a doorway. But in Glen Berger’s “Underneath the Lintel (An Impressive Presentation of Lovely Evidences),” it is a clue to a supernatural mystery. In this Actors’ Gang production, Brian T. Finney gives a nervously energized performance as a poignantly pathetic Dutch librarian who becomes obsessed with a book returned 200 years overdue.

Director and designer Brent Hinkley starkly lights this small venue. Long chalkboards fill the walls. A rabbity fellow (Finney) rushes back and forth--setting up tables and preparing for a lecture with slides. He is obviously not used to speaking to people or in public, but he’s driven by some odd passion.

His “lovely evidences” include an old book, a dog named Zebrina that was never reclaimed by her master and a time-yellowed love letter mailed to China. After a calm start, Hinkley quickens the pace, building a feverish crescendo that Finney readily delivers.

In his “Great Men of Science, Nos. 21 & 22” (a 1998 Circle X production) and his newly revised “Wooden Breeks” earlier this season at the Open Fist Theatre, Berger has shown a penchant for men obsessively investigating truths that blind them to more ordinary pursuits of happiness. This one-man show is no exception. It’s a satisfying mix of intelligent writing and quirky humor in a package that isn’t neatly wrapped up with pat answers.

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* “Underneath the Lintel (An Impressive Presentation of Lovely Evidences),” Actors’ Gang El Centro Theatre, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; also Saturdays, 10 p.m. Ends June 2. $12. (323) 465-0566. Running time: 1 hour, 15 minutes.