Tall-tale Laughs in ‘Cutting Edge’

Of course, Ronnie Claire Edwards hails from Oklahoma, the heart of tornado country. She’s a human whirlwind herself, a gen-yoo-wine force of nature, stirring up gusts of laughter in her wake.

Edwards’ loosely autobiographical “The Knife-Thrower’s Assistant, or A Life on the Cutting Edge” ably directed by Larry Randolph at the Hollywood Playhouse, is a no-holds-barred hoot that lightly touches upon, among other things, the playwright’s memories of her pioneer predecessors and her own early days in the theater. From the moment the gaudily attired Edwards flounces on stage with a stuffed armadillo under her arm, we know we’d better brace ourselves for a big blow.

And blow Edwards does, in the best tall-tale tradition of the American frontier. The material ranges from the weird (“Some of you may not know this, but 843,000 turkeys a year die of heart attacks”), to the lyrical (Edwards’ moving tribute to her father), to the fantastic (Edwards’ adolescent gig as a knife-thrower’s target).

It’s a sort of a stream-of-consciousness romp, seasoned with enough folksy aphorisms to make your eyes water. (“You can polish a rat’s tooth for years, it’ll never make ivory.”) Imagine a thoroughly modern Mark Twain in gold lame boots, and you’ll have some idea of the treat in store.

* “The Knife Thrower’s Assistant, or A Life on the Cutting Edge,” Hollywood Playhouse, 1445 N. Las Palmas, Hollywood. Tuesdays-Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 6 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.; Sundays at 3 p.m. Ends May 14. $25. (213) 660-8587. 1 hour, 45 minutes.