STAGE REVIEW : If ‘Coastal Disturbances’ Were on TV, It Could Be a Soap Opera : Theater: Much-lauded Off-Broadway drama opens a run at Rancho Santiago College in Santa Ana.

The slightness of Tina Howe’s “Coastal Disturbances” may come as a surprise to playgoers who have heard the raves from the East. Though it is a common failing of daily-newspaper critics to weave skeins of high-flown praise around some of the most slender stage fare, one expected a work of shimmering subtleties at least.

But, as revealed by an ambitious, cleverly conceived and well-directed production at Rancho Santiago College, this Off-Broadway import comes across in its Orange County premiere as a pleasant, sometimes volatile, frequently whimsical play that--if it were on television--might be labeled a soap opera.

It depicts a week on a private New England beach frequented by three women, two children and an elderly couple, all watched over by a strapping lifeguard. The disturbances of the title reflect their feelings, a kaleidoscope of moods as variable as the ocean breezes of late summer. Sudden gusts of emotion ruffle the surface of their mundane lives, exposing failures of the past and fragile hopes for the future. The present seems a brief and not altogether successful respite from both.

Teeming with digressions, “Coastal Disturbances” revolves chiefly around a romance that blossoms between outdoorsy Leo Hart, the always solicitous lifeguard who perches above the sand dunes on his wooden platform, and artsy Holly Dancer, the neurasthenic photographer who has come to the beach for a few days to pull herself together. Holly, having been ignored by her lover back in New York and denied a show at his art gallery, says she’s having a breakdown. It’s unclear whether she’s serious.

Much of the play’s texture is delicate and fragile, though not what you would call subtle. The production excels, in fact, on the flip side of subtle with an environmental setting that packs a double whammy: a silky blanket of fine-grained sand that reaches across the stage to suggest a landscape of dunes, and a beachside cafe called Geoff’s Snack Shack, where the audience is seated for the show and served real beach food (hot dogs, soft drinks and ice cream).

The dual setting has the effect of drawing us into the play and bringing us closer to the characters: Faith, a pregnant mother, doing a bit of lifeguard-ogling; Ariel, a divorcee with an unruly young son, talking of her dried-up reproductive organs; their careening kids, Winston and Miranda, who take a certain pleasure in aping the adults; Dr. Adams, a retired eye surgeon, scavenging for seashells; his wife, M.J., painting seascapes.

Leo, a reassuring presence, is just as ready to help unfurl a beach umbrella as he is to administer first aid. No task is too small, no expectation too great. Even when it comes to large commitments like love, he seems rock solid. Holly, on the other hand, is flyaway as the sand on the beach. Self-absorbed and fearful, she is reluctant to get involved with him. But dependable Leo has an instinctive fix for that, too. He playfully buries her to the neck in the sand. The movement of his hands on her body works like an erotic massage.

Arlo Gates Jr. and Colleen Dunn are both well cast in the leads. And they are nicely supported by the rest of the company: Ralph Richmond as Dr. Adam; Suzanne Chapman as M.J.; Fernanda Thomas as Faith; Cindy Hanks as Ariel; Jerome Shelton as Winston; and Karyn Stevens as Miranda.

It is only in the second act, with the appearance of Holly’s lover, Andre, that the play takes a particularly awkward turn. The character rings false on all levels, though he is clearly intended to be a phony, out-of-sync with Holly, the beach and everything that is natural, true and right.

For one thing, he is a walking cliche. It is hard not to snicker at his windy speech about his family’s emigration from Antwerp and how he pulled himself up by his bootstraps and became an influential art connoisseur.

For another, Trapper Johnson’s portrayal of Andre leaves much to be desired. We don’t believe for a minute that he is Jewish, suave or worldly. His Frenchified accent sounds ridiculous. His double-breasted white suit and black shirt is anything but chic. And for all his claims, he doesn’t give the least impression of being knowledgeable about art or anything else.

The fact that Holly buys this egregious impostor says as much about the play’s weakness as it does about her own flaws. It’s passable if we see through Andre and Holly doesn’t, so long as we don’t take her for an idiot. But what else can we conclude, given her decision at the end of the play?

Besides, how many times can Leo come to the rescue? Many more, we are given to believe. Will Leo take Manhattan? Tune in next time . . .

‘COASTAL DISTURBANCES’

A Rancho Santiago College production of Tina Howe’s drama. Directed by Sheryl Donchey. Scenic and lighting design by Kristan Clark. Costumes by Karen J. Weller. Sound design by John Marczeski. Cafe ensemble: Theresa Carlson, Beth Marsicano, Geoff Osberg, Lisa Lehvan, Heidi Moore, Andrea Magnus, Athena M. Rees, Sharon Wilkinson.

“Coast Disturbances” continues through Sunday at the Phillips Hall Little Theatre West on the RSC campus at 17th Street and Bristol Avenue in Santa Ana. Performances are today, Friday and Saturday at 2:30 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Doors open 45 minutes before show time. There is no performance Thursday. Tickets: $5 to $7. Information: (714) 667-3163.