Stage Reviews : ‘Kvetch’ Hasn’t Lost Its Steam After Three Years

The kvetching just won’t stop at the Odyssey Theatre.

Steven Berkoff’s “Kvetch” recently celebrated its third anniversary, and a revisit revealed that this brutal comedy about our nagging anxieties and unspoken feelings is as sidesplitting--and head-splitting--as ever.

Ellen Ratner, the sole performer in the Odyssey’s other long-running show, “Personality,” has taken over the role of Donna, the frantically nervous housewife, in “Kvetch,” and she is scathingly funny.

Her alley-cat features and curdled voice make the character more of a caricature. That’s appropriate here--Donna spends a lot of time at her kitchen sink, but this is no kitchen-sink drama.

Ratner’s forcefulness does make it difficult to believe that Donna has hung around the house as long as she has in the first act. But it also makes Donna’s later decision to leave more credible than it was in the hands of some of Ratner’s meeker predecessors.

No actor has yet matched the vein-throbbing hysteria of Kurt Fuller, who created the role of the husband, but Richard Lavin comes close. He also looks like a regular joe, which is an interesting counterpoint both to his own interior fear and loathing and to Ratner’s more exotic looks.

Alan Abelew brings unexpected sweetness to the role of Hal, the insecure gentleman caller. It’s easy to see how people would want to get to know this Hal better. Still, Abelew doesn’t skimp on the panic in Hal’s hilarious inner monologue about whether--and where--to reciprocate hospitality. This speech reaches a level of absurdity reminiscent of Ionesco.

Sid Wilner as the husband’s professional and personal adversary, and Cynthia Frost as Donna’s gnarled and belching mother, attack their roles with gusto. And let’s not overlook the ominous sound design of Dena Paponis, which helps us appreciate the depths of the desperation that’s on display here.

Two minor quibbles: The play is slightly dated by Frank’s lusting for an expensive stereo system. Today he surely would be fretting about whether to buy a CD. Also, because of the way the lights are hung, avoid sitting on the right (north) side of the theater if you can. The center section is best.

Through April, audience members are invited to deliver a one-minute kvetch of their own after the show. The cast judges the best kvetch nightly, and winners will be invited to a “Grand Kvetch-Off.” On Saturday only one woman participated in this great opportunity to sound off. Is Los Angeles lacking in kvetchers?

At 12111 Ohio Ave., West Los Angeles, Fridays at 8:30 p.m., Saturdays at 7 p.m., Sundays at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $17.50-$18.50; (213) 826-1626.