‘Moon’ Provides Some Biting Satire

An otherwise familiar fable about fame and corruption takes on a loopy new orbit in “Walking on the Moon,” Grace Players’ hit-and-miss black comedy at Egyptian Arena Theatre.

Jason Milligan’s frequently biting satire revolves around the temptations of Chad Williams, a black sheep of the Apollo space program who accidentally ran over another astronaut with a lunar rover during their mission 20 years ago. While his NASA peers all blasted off to the heights of fortune, Chad has had to settle for plugging recycled carpet in cheesy TV commercials.

But if a stereotypically sleazy agent (Earl Carroll) can persuade Chad to say the incident was deliberate, movie deals and celebrity status might be simply a revision away. Oh, and his still-comatose friend has to expire--audiences don’t like loose ends.

Substituting for Christopher Chisholm, understudy Tom Parks brought a sympathetic downtrodden air to Chad, mixing moral indignation with weakness in his giant leap for greed.

Director Natalija Nogulich is a scene-stealing bundle of campy flirtation as the injured astronaut’s booze-addled wife. And Anthony Guidera proves a formidable Mephistophelian presence as the lawyer who offers to help Chad escape the gravity of an attempted murder rap--for a price.

The climactic trial scene, though, is an overplayed, shtick-laden mess. Fortunately, the inspired space-themed set by Mark Henderson and Tim Farmer, with its moonscape backdrop and gold foil-wrapped furniture legs, lends visual appeal to even the weightless moments.

* “Walking on the Moon,” Egyptian Arena Theatre, 1625 N. Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood. Thursdays -- Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. Ends June 11. $15-$18. (213) 464-1222. Running time: 2 hours.