`WATER AND POWER' AN L.A. STORY WITH HEFT.

Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Critic

When a theater group is looking to cover as much ground -- metaphorical, cultural and geographical -- as the political satire trio Culture Clash, they can perhaps be forgiven for the barrage of rat-a-tat-tat easy hits directed at the City of Angels.

But although L.A. takes its lumps in the interest of a greater dramatic good in Clash member Richard Montoya's ``Water and Power,'' at its heart it's a power struggle, a tale of brother against brother.

The Clash (authors and performers of ``Chavez Ravine'') have certainly earned the right to wax satirical on the foibles (or, in some cases, the Roybals) of La-La Land. Their scenarios are always interesting, their brand of comedy accessible as well as topical. Having tailored works to cities and events throughout the United States, they know the terrain and do their homework.

However, Montoya, Ric Salinas and Herbert Siguenza are not the keenest of storytellers. ``Water and Power,'' directed by frequent Clash collaborator Lisa Peterson, is a story that is short of length (about 1 hour, 45 minutes) yet grand of scope. It asks you to feel the heft of its protagonists because they have interesting nicknames and positions of influence, not because they're particularly well-drawn.

Or drawn at all. As near as I can make out, a blue-collar DWP man, Asuncion Garcia (played by Winston J. Rocha), named his twin sons after the two facets of his line of work that -- he reckons -- make the city run.

Gilbert ``Gibby'' Garcia (aka ``Water'') becomes a to-be-reckoned-with state senator. Less-gifted Gabriel (``Gabby'') ends up as a Los Angeles Police Department lieutenant, with enough pull to merit being called ``Power.'' As young boys, both are played by the splendidly poised Moises Arias.

After a somewhat highfalutin prologue invoking spirits and gods, the production drops us unceremoniously into a would- be epic standoff between the adult twins. We're in a seen- better-days motel on some forgotten corner of Sunset Boulevard (depicted with nice authenticity by Rachel Hauck). It's here that Gibby (Montoya), with a bill for an Eastside environmental land deal on its way to Sacramento, encounters his free-falling twin (Siguenza). With a room full of firearms, Gabby does lines of cocaine and has blood on his badge. And Gibby, who has looked after his brother all his life, has to figure out how to set things right.

They're not alone. Gabby's right-hand man Norte/Sur (Salinas) wheels on and off to explain the play's metaphors, fill in some back story or generally crack wise. Where Montoya and Siguenza shoulder ``Water and Power's'' dramatic weight, Salinas is freed of any such responsibility. He's also the play's most intriguing symbol.

The brothers, less so. There's a pretty substantial gap between the tough little kids enacted by Arias and the two deeply compromised souls duking it out on Sunset.But these characters are better defined by their outside interactions more than by anything Montoya has written. There's a memorable scene -- not quite the climax it might have been -- with Dakin Matthews as a white-suited, behind-the-scenes string puller brought in to ``fix'' Gibby and Gabby's little mess. Colorful doesn't begin to describe Matthews' Fixer, who commandeers the Water Grill and gets Gibby to give him a water foot massage.

Scenes of this nature are, alas, the exception rather than the rule. Culture Clash's canvas is large indeed, and the colors are rich. Water, power and plenty of myth, their story has. A pity this L.A. story couldn't have included a little more heart as well.

Evan Henerson, [phone]

evan.henerson(at)dailynews.com

WATER AND POWER - Three stars

Where: Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday; through Sept. 17.

Tickets: $25 to $55. [phone].

In a nutshell: Culture Clash takes on L.A. -- again. City Hall, beware!

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Photo:

Richard Montoya, left, and Herbert Siguenza are twin brothers on different paths in ``Water and Power.''