‘Christmas Tales’ Is No ‘Miracle’

One of this theater season’s neediest cases is “Twice Told Christmas Tales,” Judy Soo Hoo’s comic fantasy at East West Players. It’s in dire need of a reason for being.

It’s easy to forgive some rough edges in a new play. But “Twice Told” is so haphazardly written and staged, you wonder whether the creators succumbed to a bad case of holiday rush.

The plot follows Sam (Shaun Shimoda), a Salvation Army Santa Claus estranged from his wife and kids. For reasons that never become clear, he is chosen by a would-be angel (Consuelo Aduviso) to spread the message of Christmas--on daytime talk shows, no less. In the meantime, Sam befriends a precocious little girl named Dorothy (Alex) whose well-meaning but misguided mother (C. Souza Ma) forbids her to believe in Santa Claus.

The dual plot strands are of course reminiscent of the films “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street,” though there is virtually no acknowledgment of either source in the play or program. Torn between two narratives, Soo Hoo burdens the text with plot twists that go nowhere and colorful street people who endlessly digress.

The cast includes some fine performers--Irma Escamillais especially memorable as a grandma with the spirit and wardrobe of a ‘60s activist--but their efforts are sabotaged by the mawkish writing and Betty Muramoto’s snail-paced direction.

By the time Sam is finally allowed to broadcast a rambling bit of Christmas uplift on a sleazy call-in radio show, the viewer’s faith in the playwright roughly equals Dorothy’s faith in Santa Claus.

* “Twice Told Christmas Tales,” East West Players, 4424 Santa Monica Blvd., Silver Lake. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends Dec. 24. $15. (213) 660-0366. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.