Bernard White’s Eccentric World

Bernard White subtitles his one-man show “Where She Went” at the Met Theatre “A Mystery.” An examination of two failed relationships, White’s show is often mysterious, an elliptical narrative that balances precariously between laughs and lugubriousness.

The piece commences with White’s short-term romance with an elusive American woman whom he meets in Paris, then arcs back in time to his marriage, which disintegrates for reasons obliquely sexual.

Randal P. Ernest’s purposefully disorienting set design includes hanging mannequin limbs, a barber chair and a gilt-edged picture frame in which a blood-soaked sheet is prominently displayed. These expressionistic surroundings, artfully lit by J. Christopher Wojcieszyn, tip us off to the fact that White’s is not meant to be your run-of-the-mill, autobiographically confessional one-man show, in which an actor cannibalizes his past life, however prosaic, in frantic quest of a showcase.

Artistic pretensions aside, however, White does indeed cannibalize his past life, which under all the sturm, drang and fancy trappings falls somewhat short of a general appeal. The good news is that, under Dan Bonnell’s assured direction, the evening does succeed, beautifully, as a showcase for White’s considerable acting skills. Twitching, intense and eccentrically appealing, the talented White makes his limited material refreshingly unexpected.

* “Where She Went,” Met Theatre, 1089 N. Oxford Ave., Thursdays-Sundays, 8 p.m. Ends Aug. 6. $12.50. (213) 957-1152. Running time: 1 hour, 15 minutes.