STAGE REVIEWS : Festival ’90 : OPEN FESTIVAL : ‘Camp’ Blazes New Trail at Powerhouse

Summer camp for kids is never much more than it pretends to be--simple arts and crafts, sitting around a campfire listening to scary stories and singing favorite old camping songs. “Camp” at the Powerhouse Theatre isn’t any more than it pretends to be, either, and that’s fine.

It doesn’t pretend to be theater, that’s for sure, but in a funny way it is. Maybe it’s what performance art was before it lost its identity. There’s a talent show (music and lyrics by director Andy Ross) featuring the counselors, and they’re just what you’d expect. They even help us with our arts and crafts on the patio and join us around the campfire for a sing-along. There’s nothing new at this camp.

The highlight of the evening is the satire of Ranger Greg (a hilariously straight-faced Gregory Burns), who takes us on a simulated hike by way of a guffaw of a slide show--”grizzly bear” and “bunny rabbit” steal the show from Ranger Greg, who steals the show in the first place.

A special guest (they vary) also tells a scary story. Saturday night it was Morton Downey Jr., who got some good laughs with his arachnophobic tale, but he wasn’t as scary as he usually is.

At 3116 Second St., Santa Monica; Fridays and Saturdays, 10:30 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m.; indefinitely. $12.50; (213) 466-1767.