‘Screwballs’ Provides Laughs

Pacific Palisades author Jonathan Edelman, who has an extensive background in television and screenwriting, switched to play writing in the late 1990s. His first play, ‘Moonpuppies,’ was produced at the Odyssey Theater and his second full-length play, ‘Screwballs,’ is now running through December 15. Billed as a zany post-modern take-off of classic screwball comedies, it lives up to the description–some of the time. The setting for ‘Screwballs’ is the Casa Milagro, an inn near the Aqua Caliente National Forest, which is owned by divorc’e Abby (Martha Gehman). The inn appears to be in financial jeopardy, although the audience is never clear why. Abby has an adult son and a fianc’ about whom she appears to be ambivalent. Abby’s ex, Guy (Scott Weintraub) and his best friend show up at the inn after a river-rafting expedition they led has gone awry. He bets his best friend that he’ll be able to win back his ex. Abby isn’t buying it, so he purloins a love potion created by the Native American bartender Frankie Lamebull (Kyle Heffner). The love potion is really a ‘soul’ changing medicine and Guy ends up in Abby’s body and vice versa. Mom and daughter changing body in ‘Freaky Friday’ produced hilarious results based on age difference. Gender switches provides even more opportunity for humor. Abby goes with the all-male group to rescue the river rafters who were left trapped. Guy stays with the idea he’ll seduce the man who will help Abby financially save the inn. Dressed in heels, a black-sequined long dress with spaghetti straps and a slit, Guy does his best to be everything a woman should: seductive, sexy and feminine. Unfortunately for him, the potion has reversed itself and he is simply a man in drag, hitting on a financier. Weintraub as Guy is hysterical, and the second act is the reason to see this play. Comedies need a clear, simple set-up, but unfortunately the first act is muddled. We need to know why the Casa Milagro is in financial trouble and we need a clearer understanding of why Abby still has the ‘hots’ for her ex. Edelman who also directs, has assembled a talented cast. Dr. Sandra (Amy Tolsky) and Dr. Jeff (Michael Caldwell) are appropriately irritating and smug as two guests staying at the inn. The third guest, their daughter Kimberly (Jessica Goldapple), plays the sex kitten to a tee. Providing just the right amount of craziness with believability is Kyle Heffner as Frankie Lamebull. In any romantic comedy, the audience needs to feel the romantic chemistry between the leads. In this case, there aren’t enough sparks.. Reviewing a new play is always exciting, and this play certainly has the bones, especially the second act, to be madcap and humorous. The direction is good and the cast mostly exceptional, one only wishes that Edelman would have tightened the first act to achieve the laugh-out loud comedy that happens in the second. ‘Screwballs’ runs Thursday, Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. at the Odyssey in West Los Angeles at 2055 S. Sepulveda. For ticket information contact (310) 477-2055.