Review: ‘Ionescopade’ juggles comedy, catastrophe at the Odyssey

Vaudevillian elements notwithstanding, the absurdist theater isn’t typically associated with slam-bang entertainment value.

Based on the works of Eugene Ionesco, “Ionescopade” at the Odyssey brings slapstick firmly to the fore in a surprisingly light-hearted divertissement. Yet in fine Ionesco style, the general inanity yields horrific hints of a world gone mad.

Director/choreographer William Castellino, working with longtime collaborator Mildred Kayden (music and lyrics), helms this heavily tweaked reprise of a 1982 Odyssey production. But the show, based on Robert Allan Ackerman’s original concept, was created in the early 1970s and has undergone several incarnations, of which the Odyssey’s is just one.

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FOR THE RECORD:
“Ionescopade”: A review of “Ionescopade” at the Odyssey Theatre in the June 5 Calendar section said the play is closing June 9. It is running through Aug. 11.

“Ionescapade” is typically abstruse, yet echoes of totalitarian zealotry predominate. In one sketch, characters frenetically chase an adored leader who proves to be headless. In another, a couple’s bickering is punctuated by sounds of bombardment and war. It’s only when the hostilities cease that true terror sets in.

Other pieces are more purely silly. A couple of colorfully attired bums do a number reminiscent of Astaire and Garland, while a family of cheerful clowns -- all named Bobby Watson -- perform pure burlesque. Amusingly skewed syllogisms abound, cock-eyed wordplay reminiscent of Lewis Carroll -- that is, if he were writing from the trenches.

An ironically wordless writer (Alan Abelew) functions as a combination mime/emcee -- our escort through this madcap evening. Mylette Nora’s witty costumes are a standout of this thoughtfully designed production. Castellino’s staging is mostly well-honed with few slips, while musical director Gerald Sternbach does a yeoman’s job melding the eclectic mix of voices. Others in the cast, all fine, include Andrew Ableson, Joey D’Auria, Cristina Gerla, Kelly Lester, Tom Lowe and Jennifer Malenke.

In a culminating scene, the entire ensemble drops dead, one by one, of a mysterious plague -- humorously exaggerated deaths that elicit raucous laughter. That juxtaposition of the comical and the catastrophic is Ionesco’s gift, prettily packaged here in Ricin-laced wrappings.

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“Ionescopade,” Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. Also only 5 and 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 9. Ends Aug. 11. $30. (310) 477-2055, Ext. 2. www.odysseytheatre.com. Running time: 2 hours.

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