STAGE REVIEW : Cerebral Comedy Revue in ‘Mental Cruelty’

“Mental Cruelty,” at the Tamarind, is one of the brightest sketch comedy revues to appear in a long time.

The production is a westward expansion for a New York group called Brain Trust. Gary Kroeger, formerly of “Saturday Night Live,” is the director.

Befitting the name of the group and the title of the show, the comedy here is slightly more cerebral than in many of the revues around town. For example, in a discussion between a man and a fruit fly about their respective life expectancies, the fly casually mentions Mummenschanz, the Swiss performance troupe. Other sketches are based on a class called Non-Sequiturs 101 and on the spectacle of Roget (as in thesaurus) having trouble finding the right words.

Still, this show is not pedantic. Both of its acts open with timely sketches about slipshod professional standards--among airline pilots and doctors, respectively. The first act closes with “Death Gets a Black Eye,” co-producer Mike Colasuonno’s ingenious commentary on Ted Turner’s colorization campaign.

Some of the subjects are more conventional. But there isn’t a dud in the entire show. Kroeger has cut and polished the performances to a fine point.

As one of the performers himself, Kroeger gets to moderate his smart-aleck looks in ways that eluded him on “Saturday Night Live.” The other men in the cast are David Fury, who doubles as the group’s most prolific writer (judging from the program credits) and co-producer, and Tom Virtue, who wrote his own tour de force about a versatile 976 telemarketing entrepreneur.

The women are Judy Nazemetz, blessed with naturally comic features and voice, and long-limbed Sherry Bilsing, who successfully plays against type in a sketch about a park bench know-it-all.

“Mental Cruelty” is further powered by Justin Reinhardt’s four-man band, the Brain Trust Orchestra--probably the most elaborate musical presentation at any comedy revue in town right now--as well as by adept sound effects.

At 5919 Franklin Ave., Hollywood, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with a late show Saturdays at 10 p.m.. Tickets: $10-$12.50; (213) 466-1767.