SAN DIEGO COUNTY : STAGE REVIEW : Vintage Coward Is Nothing to Sneeze At : Comedy: ‘Hay Fever’ at the Gaslamp Quarter Theatre’s Hahn Cosmopolitan is short on plot, but long on style.

A glitter of gems at the neck, wrist and ears. A shimmer of silky flowing gowns, all the brighter for being pressed against the blackness of the men’s tuxedoes. A smoky challenge issued from cigarettes in holders manipulated by graceful, manicured hands. The gleam of a silver tea set waiting to be poured.

Yes, the annual Noel Coward comedy at the Gaslamp Quarter Theatre’s Hahn Cosmopolitan has been unveiled.

It’s “Hay Fever,” playing through Dec. 17, and as usually happens when the words Coward and Gaslamp are combined in one sentence, the result is exquisitely delightful.

“Hay Fever,” the first of Coward’s lasting comedies, is short on plot, but long on style. And familiar Gaslamp acting faces, under the direction of the company’s artistic director, Will Simpson, deliver that style with the inimitable flair that comes from the confidence of long use.

The Bliss family--all mama, papa, daughter and son of them--are an intensely theatrical lot. The mama, Judith (Jane Wenman), is a briefly retired actress thinking of a comeback; the papa, David (Navarre T. Perry), is a novelist; the daughter, Sorel (Susanna Thompson), is an ingenue, and the son, Simon (Marc Raia), well understands that his role is to do his part to keep things at a fever pitch.

Bored, presumably, with teasing each other to exasperation, each of the Blisses invites a guest up for the weekend and then proceeds to court, befuddle, bemuse and confuse them as the Blisses transfer their affections mercurially from their own guests to those the others have invited.

“Where ignorance is Bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise,” says Judith, reading what some reporter has written about her in the paper.

It’s an apt summation of the playwright’s attitude. If the Blisses are eccentric, they nevertheless offer a good deal more to capture the heart than their wordly wise guests do. That’s no reflection on the consummately skillful performances by Anne Dauber as the shy Jackie, whom David wants to use as the model for a character in his new book; Paul L. Nolan as Richard, the diplomat Sorel competes with Judith for; David Grant Wright as Sandy, the boxer Judith competes with Sorel for; and Rosina Widdowson-Reynolds as sophisticated Myra, who cries out in exasperation after being courted hotly first by Simon, then by David: “This house is a feather bed of false emotions!”

Precisely. And what a glorious feather bed to bounce around on. The “darlings” and “dears” flow among the Blisses like wine at a wedding, for the true loves of the Blisses--to the dismay of the guests who find themselves unwittingly affianced to various family members in the course of a chaotic two days--are the Blisses themselves.

The show, first produced in 1925, may well be the precursor to situation comedies. Now that the Blisses have had their fun for the weekend, who will be their victims for the following week? This is one family that needs a constant supply of fresh meat.

The technical support is not as confident as the acting. The set by Robert Earl is elegant enough but, surprisingly, does not reflect even a glimmer of the Blisses’ craziness; there is not so much as a theater poster or a surprise prop to heighten the tension of the guests.

Jeanne Reith’s costumes largely meet the glittering mark, except in the case of the demure evening gown for Judith. This woman, who does not admit to her age, is not about to be out-dressed even by her own daughter. She cries out for a garment inappropriately, perhaps, but gloriously glamorous.

And how about something a bit more daring for Rebecca Nachison as the acidic maid, Clara, who in a former life was Judith’s dressing lady? Certainly one would expect more of the excesses of the past to show up in her outfits as well.

But these disappointments are minor; the brass ring in this particular production lies in the acting, and particularly in the unique way the play shows us actors growing up under the protective umbrella of a company that appreciates and nurtures their talents.

When the Gaslamp became Equity three years ago, that allowed Gaslamp veterans such as Wright, Raia, Nachison and Perry to join the Actor’s Equity union and revitalized Wenman’s dormant union card. In “Hay Fever,” the Gaslamp employed eight Equity actors in a cast of nine--all of whom are local. The ninth, Anne Dauber, is doubtless headed in the same professional direction.

When the applause for “Hay Fever,” the last play in the Gaslamp’s ninth season, dies down, the theater deserves a hand for the larger role it is playing in the maturation of local talent.

“HAY FEVER”

By Noel Coward. Director is Will Simpson. Set by Robert Earl. Lighting by Matthew Cubitto. Costumes by Jeanne Reith. Sound by Mark London. With Susanna Thompson, Marc Raia, Rebecca Nachison, Jane Wenman, Navarre T. Perry, David Grant Wright, Rosina Widdowson-Reynolds, Paul L. Nolan and Anne Dauber. At 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturdays with Sunday matinees at 2 through Dec. 17. Tickets are $17-19. At 444 4th Ave., San Diego, (619) 234-9583.