A SOVIET WRITER’S ‘ART’

Out of the East Coast--and the Eastern bloc--comes Victor Steinbach’s “My Life in Art” (opening Friday at the Tiffany), which the Russian-born author describes as a “comedy about ‘theater losers,’ people in the theater business.”

“They could’ve done something different, but instead they chose this. One is a stage director, one is a theater critic, one is a Broadway star, one is a farmer from Virginia, one is a zoologist. Telling any more would be giving the story away.

“I would call it a black comedy,” Steinbach allowed. “But I don’t want to be obvious about it, though it is funny. Another way to describe the genre is ‘fantastic realism.’ There is a genre like that, established by Gogol. But you can’t put those things on programs.”

As for the show’s moniker, “I used the title from Stanislavsky’s book. It works in a very ironic, mocking way. After they’ve seen the play, everyone will understand.”

“Art” marks the first English-written play by Steinbach, who arrived in 1976, a graduate of the Leningrad Gorky Drama School. (His first work here, “The Bathers,” won the 1982 Playbill Award for best play.) A member of New Dramatists, he’s also a staunch defender of his adopted hometown: “You can really see what’s going on in American theater there. When I asked to emigrate from Russia, New York was the most fantastic city to me. I wanted only to be there.”

Even now, soaking up the gentle California winter makes the 43-year-old writer nostalgic for the icy streets of New York. “What’s wrong with it?” he queried. “I love the cold. I’m from Russia.”

Back for its annual sojourn is Actors From the London Stage, a performing quintet that tours under the auspices of the Alliance for Creative Theatre and Educational Research (ACTER). The group arrives at Occidental College for a week of daytime workshops and evening performances of “The Tempest” (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday) and “Pinter This Evening” (Thursday)--which features a critical perspective, excerpts from Pinter’s work and a reading of “Betrayal.”

Shades of “It’s a Wonderful Life” set the tone for “Pepper Street,” a new musical--with book and lyrics by Toni Bull Bua, music and direction by Gene Bua, opening Thursday at the Backlot Cabaret.

The play, which deals specifically with teen suicide, is an outgrowth of Bua’s Burbank-based drama school, Acting for Life. “Three years ago, there was this girl in class,” recalled Bull Bua, “16, blue eyes, blond hair, perfectly put together. She looked like she had it made. If you asked her how she was, she said ‘Fine.’ Well, we found out later that her life was quite a disaster. It made me think that probably 98% of people in pain are smiling and saying ‘Fine.’ ”

In the show, the teen-age protagonist, Spirit, feeling disapproval from everyone in her “perfect community of Pepper Street,” attempts to take her life--with tranquilizers, Quaaludes and peppermint schnapps--and arrives in heaven’s waiting room, where an angel (formerly a race car driver) informs her that her spirit is temporarily on hold, that she has seven days to reconsider her fatal choice.

“Hopefully, this will educate the public to this incredibly sad thing that’s going on,” Bull Bua added. “Kids have to know that the pain will pass.” In conjunction with the play’s opening, the mayors of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood have united in declaring Feb. 15-21 as Youth Suicide Awareness Week. Additionally, a percentage of the show’s proceeds will benefit the Youth Suicide Prevention School Program and Cedars Sinai Teen Line.

LATE CUES: Everyone’s favorite mime, Marcel Marceau, is back in town, touching down for one night--Tuesday--at El Camino College’s Marsee Auditorium. . . . On Saturday, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions is hosting a Valentine’s Day benefit dance, “Lust for LACE.” Erotic/erratic videos will share the space with a disco, live DJ and “mini-performances” by, among others: Linda Burnham, the Famous Oh!, John Fleck, Kristian Hoffman, Donald Krieger, Philip Littell, Tim Miller, Douglas Sadownick and Shrimps.