Ventura County Weekend : Theater : ‘A Thousand Clowns’ Offers More Than a Few Laughs : A strong acting ensemble deftly combines humor with physical gags at the newly named Marquie Dinner Theatre in Camarillo.

Weary of writing for a children’s TV show, Murray Burns quits his job. This leaves him an easy target for two social workers investigating charges that he’s unfit to raise his precocious young nephew, Nick. That’s the premise of Herb Gardner’s “A Thousand Clowns,” playing Thursday through Saturday nights at what’s now called the Marquie Dinner Theatre in Camarillo. It’s a funny piece, with humor that’s reminiscent of any number of Neil Simon plays.

William Terry plays Murray, younger than portrayed by Jason Robards Jr. in the original Broadway production and the subsequent film. Adam Tafoya, a Thousand Oaks High School freshman who’s a veteran of several local Young Artists Ensemble productions, is strong as the bright, willful Nick.

William Hillstrom gets some strong moments as Murray’s sympathetic brother, and Robert “Doc” Reynolds walks away with a couple of scenes as Leo, the thick-skinned, chipmunk-suited and slightly dimwitted TV host.

Aaron Van Etten is very funny as the bureaucrat social worker, Albert, and Kim Little--who recently starred in the Conejo Players’ “Wait Until Dark”--is believable as Sandra, Albert’s psychologist/co-worker (and unwitting object of his closeted affections).

Director Rick Steinberg packs the play with physical gags to match the verbal parrying (watch Murray and his yo-yo), and it’s to everybody’s credit that the script doesn’t sound as dated as have many plays from the early ‘60s.

Really sharp-eyed and longtime local theater fans might recognize a key prop--a Jayne Mansfield doll that lights up--as the same one used by the Conejo Players in their 1969 production of “A Thousand Clowns.” It was liberated from the company’s prop room and refurbished for use here by set designer Tom Murry.

After a couple of changes of management as a part-time dinner theater during the past few years, the former Ottavio’s Banquet Facility in Camarillo has been sold: The property goes to the Church of Religious Science, which holds Sunday morning services there; the business, catering and dinner theater have been sold to Paul and Judy Marquie, who have produced the last several plays there.

Ottavio’s two restaurants remain under their longtime family ownership. Dinner theater changes already in place include addition of Saturday night performances most weeks (augmenting the previous Thursday and Friday schedule), and a more varied dinner menu. The building itself will retain the name Ottavio’s Banquet Facility through the end of 1995.

For further information or dinner theater reservations, call 484-9909.

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Opening This Week: The Conejo Players’ production of Neil Simon’s 1991 Pulitzer Prize-winning “Lost in Yonkers” opens Friday at the company’s theater in Thousand Oaks. Consult calendar listings for further information or call 495-3715 for reservations.

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Casting Call: Director Les Weider is holding auditions tonight and Friday for Moorpark College’s production of “Our Town,” set to open the campus’s new Performing Art Complex’s 400-seat main stage theater in October. There are 25 speaking parts. But, before you go rushing to the phone to arrange an audition appointment (378-1469), note that participants must be enrolled in the college’s Theater 10-1 class for three units of credit. According to the college admissions office, enrollment fees for the class are $49 for state residents without a bachelor’s degree, $160 for state residents with a bachelor’s degree, and $352 for non-California residents.

The Conejo Players’ production of the film noir-style musical “City of Angels” is being cast Sunday and Monday by director Marjorie Berg. There are 35 parts, all singing and most speaking; all but three are dual roles. The show will play Thursdays through Saturdays, Nov. 10 to Dec. 16. For information, call director Berg at 498-9452 or producer Andra White at 484-4230.