Light brown wooden office furniture creates a scene fit for the 1980s with a Rolodex, chaotic bookshelves, a wicker chair and a lone fluorescent light dangling precariously over the stage. The first action we see follows the actors as they place props in drawers and on tabletops throughout the stage. Uncertainty creeps in as many question whether this is part of the performance or simply representative of the close-quarters style the Timbre 4 company employs.

"Tercer Cuerpo (Third Wing)" is a small production—only five actors. Yet, the fiery emotion projecting from this tiny stage brings its audience into a different but familiar world. Fear. Insecurity. Betrayal. The monotony of office life. Commonalities that plague even the most confident individual are displayed with stark honesty as the players glide across the stage without the slightest rigidity.

The production chronicles a stage in the lives of five interconnected people with varying levels of fear. Moni (Daniela Pal) hides her troubles by engrossing herself in the lives of others, sweeping her living situation under the rug. Sandra (Melisa Hermida) reaches a point in her life where a child represents her path to fulfillment and happiness. The remaining characters struggle with love, loneliness, loss and acceptance. The trials and tribulations presented are ubiquitous in nature. Even if one has not experienced them personally, the internal emptiness and the pain of loss are those that can be understood by everyone.

ALSO SEE: Radar L.A. Review: 'Rodney King' At The Kirk Douglas Theatre

Unfortunately, my inability to speak Spanish hindered my comprehension of the tale. "Tercer Cuerpo" is performed entirely in Spanish, with surtitles flashing across a screen above and behind the actors. Director Claudio Tolcachir brought members of his outstanding company from Argentina to the United States to perform a riveting portrayal of the fragile human condition. However, if you are not passable in the language, much of the depth to the performance is lost.

The initial stages of the performance are particularly difficult to follow since the actors fling sentence after rapid sentence while the surtitles show simple phrases hoping you get the gist. As the performance continues, the complex story begins to unfold and non-Spanish speakers are given a chance to acclimatize to the surtitle usage. Regardless, the gap in understanding is painfully obvious as half the crowd guffaws in laughter or gasps in disbelief while the other non-Spanish speaking half reads an emotionless summary without catching the raw performances.

So much of language is reliant upon context clues, mannerisms and intonation. In the case of "Tercer Cuerpo," non-Spanish speakers are pigeonholed into either watching the actors interact or reading the summary of what is being said, which proves tragic since all five actors are brilliant, especially Hermida and Pal. These performers interact in a free-flowing, natural manner that makes one feel more like a voyeur using a peephole to gain an insight into their lives than an audience member.

ALSO SEE: Radar L.A. Review: 'Stardust' At The REDCAT

In some instances, the surtitles are used comically. When Hector (Jose Maria Marcos) begins to pontificate about the oddity that is mankind, the surtitles purposefully remain blank until closing with "...it's weird." These moments maintain their humor across linguistic boundaries due to our chance to watch the actors, but later moments suffer from the lack of explanation. Consequently, much of the performance plays as an inside joke between Spanish speakers.

Language barriers aside, the segments of "Tercer Cuerpo" I was able to comprehend excelled. Tolcachir boasts a solid understanding of human interaction and chose wisely when casting the performance. The common theme of loneliness attaches itself to all five characters and manifests in various enlightening ways. If it weren't for the unfortunate language barrier, "Tercer Cuerpo" would have been exceedingly poignant in its execution. A vital, cross-cultural message can only go so far if only a few understand it.

"Tercer Cuerpo" is playing through September 29 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center (514 South Spring Street, Los Angeles). Tickets are $15-$25. For more information visit the Radar L.A. website here.

More coverage of Radar L.A. Festival 2013 can be found here.

Contact Contributing Writer Michael here or add him on Google+ here.

Read more by Michael Huard at MHMovieReviews.com.