Stage: 'Regretrosexual'; 'UK'; 'Bowling'; 'Violet Hour'

"Regretrosexual: The Love Story" has extended at the Hudson Guild Theatre, and it may just be the best date show in town. This expansion of the 2005 solo hit about stand-up comic Dan Rothenberg's struggle to admit his prior gay identity to the woman he loves doesn't so much advance the confessional form as give it a hilarious workout.

By incorporating the object of Rothenberg's affection -- wonderful Colleen Crabtree, who co-wrote the text and plays everybody else, including herself -- "Regretrosexual" carries unusual authenticity. Rothenberg's maturation included two years of same-sex activity in San Francisco, where he rejected his heterosexual bent for fear of losing his best friend, who had just come out. This gay period (as opposed to "phase") would be moot if Rothenberg had not met Crabtree, as psychically fragile in her way as he was in his.

A prime source of fun in "Regretrosexual" comes from its adroit delaying of Rothenberg's admission confession while it ups the emotional ante. The other great pleasure is the deft way that this real-life couple mesh under Richard Kuhlman's smart direction. Zipping around the center unit of designer Alex Hutton's simple set, Crabtree has a rare gift for instant personas, which dovetails with Rothenberg's appealing ability to give zingers an unexpected vulnerable spin. Aided by Matt Richter's witty sound and lighting effects, their mutual empathy is altogether engaging.

If there is a flaw, it is that "Regretrosexual" is almost too clever in its sly self-references. At times, the quips nearly blur the emerging interpersonal issues, which transcend gender specifics.

Yet long before the touching finale, it's clear that this loopy pair were born for each other, and watching them come to the same conclusion makes "Regretrosexual" a uniquely satisfying duologue.

--David C. Nichols

"Regretrosexual: The Love Story," Hudson Guild Theatre, 6543 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. Ends April 12. $20. (323) 960-7822. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Better to not mind the gaps

You might want to disconnect the reasoning faculty of your brain for the duration of "West Bank, UK," the hugely likable, massively puzzling musical at the Malibu Stage Co. But then, your energetically tapping toes will probably distract you from any faint misgivings you might have about the piece's general aimlessness.

The setup seems straight out of sitcom: A lonely Palestinian bachelor, living in squalor in Britain, is forced to share his roach-trap flat with a dapper Israeli guy who has just suffered a painful breakup.

At first blush, that premise seems almost painfully pat. However, writer-director Oren Safdie and composer-lyricist-arranger Ronnie Cohen heave their high concept through the looking glass, to surreal and often lacerating effect.

Initially, Aziz (Mike Mosallam), a drug dealer, is livid when arms dealer Assaf (Jeremy Cohen) arrives at his London digs claiming to be the legal tenant. Bickering between these reluctant roomies soon becomes bonding, then outright sexual attraction, before veering back into bellicosity and open "warfare."

Huge plot points go begging. The protagonists' supposedly criminal exploits are never fully explored or explained (why such indigence if they are indeed professional felons?), while their homo- sexual liaison quickly drops through the cracks of the fractured story structure. And although his music is unfailingly sprightly, Cohen's lyrics range from the provocative to the downright sophomoric.

Yet if it fails as a pointed dialectic of Middle Eastern conflict, "West Bank" succeeds as an exercise in pure drollery. Safdie infuses his uneven enterprise with enormous energy and humor, and the first-rate cast, which includes Anthony Patellis and Janine Molinari in a variety of comical character roles, delivers propulsive performances of Broadway caliber. The highlight of the evening, Cohen's klezmer-influenced score, is brought to rowdy fruition by musical director Scott Baldyga, who helms one of the liveliest onstage musical ensembles you are likely to hear this season.

--F. Kathleen Foley

"West Bank, UK," Malibu Stage Co., 29243 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays. Ends April 13. $25. (310) 589-1998. Running time: 1 hour, 15 minutes.

A most able representation

There's much that is brave about "The History of Bowling," Mike Ervin's comedy, now at the NoHo Arts Center, about a quadriplegic's love affair with a fellow college student who is epileptic. A longtime activist for the disabled, Ervin evidently wrote his play with a dual purpose, not only to entertain but also to provide juicy roles for disabled performers.

In that, he has certainly succeeded, and in so doing, he has focused overdue attention on artists with disabilities, who are dismally underrepresented in most media. Yet "Bowling" is not really a play about disabilities. It's a play that happens to revolve around characters who happen to have disabilities.

That's a vital distinction. "Bowling" offers a fair share of belly laughs, not to mention plenty of invigorating wryness. Unfortunately, there's a situational slightness to the play more appropriate to light television fare than a full-blown piece of theater.