THEATER REVIEW / ‘PASTORELA’ : Devil of a Dud : The spirited play turns out to be more of a talent show than a tale about a rock band caught between good and evil.

The Ventura College Theater Department’s “Pastorela” may not live up to its advance publicity. Still, the show is an interesting experiment and should be plenty of fun for the right audience.

Billed as “a collaboration of the theatre arts staff and the theatre arts students,” “Pastorela” is purportedly in the medieval morality play tradition, set in contemporary Ventura and starring a rock band torn between God and Satan.

There is plenty of ambition--the audience is moved to three separate performance spaces during the production. But the play’s basic elements are in poor balance. Little conflict occurs, small temptation is given and the Devil is something of a dud. And, as for localizing, this play could as easily have taken place in any U. S. city without having to change more than a word or two of dialogue.

What’s left is a standard story of getting a band together, sort of like TV’s “The Heights.” The “Pastorela” band, The Shepherds, has just lost its lead guitarist in a freak accident: Attempting to play an acoustic guitar, he caught his hand in the sound hole, the resulting injury incapacitating a finger. The singer-tambourine player (Jazmina Walea) is trying to develop a unique stage image, and the group’s first public performance has just been canceled.

Along comes darkly mysterious lead guitarist P. J. (P. J. Galligan), who dazzles them with his fretwork and promises to set them up with the Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll record label and get them a show at the Roxy. (No big deal, incidentally, since the Roxy adopted a “pay-to-play” policy several years ago. Your mother could play the Roxy if she came up with the cash in advance).

The path to victory is a talent contest that’s the show’s second and seemingly longest of three acts.

In the meantime an angel, Gabriel, is trying to get to them with an important message from The Man Upstairs.

John Medieros shines as Gabriel, who appears as a winged Latino who’s spent more than his share of time on the street. (A fair amount of the show’s dialogue is delivered in a Spanglish dialect, but is not particularly daunting to those who don’t speak Spanish). His is an amusing character, and Gabriel’s technique for delivering a basketball slam-dunk could revolutionize the game.

The band consists of rhythm guitarist Fernando Portugal, bassist Peter Soren Harb, drummer Travis C. Greer, original singer Walea and an excellent lead singer--Teri Lynn Regalado--they pick up along the way. They sing and play their own instruments, and in a time-honored tradition, the drummer gets to sing a novelty number. The song, “A Gift,” is one of the show’s best.

P. J. Galligan is a capable guitarist, but with those sunglasses, he looks more like a Highway Patrolman than an incarnation of Satan.

The talent contest is a parade of inept performers, ranging from a clumsy magician (Joseph E. Derse) to a baton twirler (Amy S. Garrett, accompanied by Julie Woolsey and Geneva Wasserman), and capped by a group--Jayme Housh, Cherry Clemensen, Charlie Moore and Saul Lerma-- pantomiming to the B-52s’ “Love Shack.” It’s all pretty lame, and seems inserted more to give everybody an opportunity to perform than to enhance the show.

There are some engaging performers and a few funny moments, along with an entire “This is Spinal Tap” subtext. The music is pretty good, but keep in mind the rock ‘n’ roll adage: If it’s too loud, you’re too old.

At the play’s third act, the audience is invited to sing a few Christmas songs with the cast. It’s a nice moment, but those whose holiday spirit has its limits, or who don’t like being dragged into an arena to sing and dance, can safely leave at the end of Act II.

* WHERE AND WHEN

“Pastorela” concludes this weekend at the Ventura College Theater on Loma Vista Road. Performances are at 8 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday, and at 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $9 general admission; $7 for students, staff or seniors, and may be purchased at the box office prior to performance. For reservations or further information, call 654-6459.