Last Chance

Homebody/Kabul: Playwright Tony Kushner’s intellectual sweep, razor-edged humor and fiery moral passion power this 3 1/2-hour odyssey into the convoluted world of post-Cold War politics, centering on a British woman’s mysterious disappearance and her family’s attempts to find her. The mechanics of stagecraft are still not Kushner’s strong suit, and those who come to his plays expecting to find meticulously crafted little intellectual jewel boxes are likely to be disappointed. Kushner has dared to walk through a contemporary minefield, a dramatic terra incognita, and emerged intact with a powerful story to tell.

-- Reed Johnson

Ends Sunday at the Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. (213) 628-2772.