Too Many Facts Clutter ‘Country’

Set in the 1980s, Steven Dietz’s unwieldy “God’s Country” revolves around the murder of radio talk-show host Alan Berg, his assassins’ subsequent federal trial, and the death of Robert Mathews, fanatical head of the neo-Nazi group the Order during an FBI raid. Open Fist Theatre Company has revived Dietz’s factually based drama at the Los Angeles Playhouse.

In addition to chronicling historical events, Dietz goes into the whys and wherefores of white supremacy, including an in-depth explanation of the infamous Identity Doctrine, which reinterprets the Bible to demonize Jews and nonwhites. More a primer than a play, the piece trips over the fine line between historical drama and exposition, often sounding as if it were downloaded directly from a newspaper’s computer archive. Occasional forays into hallucinatory imagery fail to alleviate the tedium.

Although she keeps her staging clean and purposeful, Martha Demson directs with a degree of unvarying intensity that is ultimately wearing. Some of the performers, all of whom play multiple roles, seem more interested in grandstanding than creating characters. An overly general look at a complicated subject, “God’s Country” peppers us with facts, dates and definitions while seldom engaging our emotions.

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* “God’s Country,” Los Angeles Playhouse, 1625 N. La Brea Ave., Hollywood. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Ends May 30. $15. (213) 882-6912. Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes.