THEATER REVIEW : A Just-Pretend Hodgepodge in ‘Moon’

“Welcome to the Moon” is an apt title for the evening of John Patrick Shanley one-acts at McCadden Theatre. They play like tentative doodles that Shanley might have tossed off in the process of creating his screenplay for “Moonstruck.”

In other words, they’re slight and gooey, with characters who are frequently swept away by the romance of the moon or the stars--moments that lose their effectiveness when repeated too often.

Most of the brief plays--sketches, really--are instantly forgettable. The most memorable, a barroom playlet titled “Welcome to the Moon,” is interesting primarily because it’s so primitive compared to Shanley’s more famous barroom play, “Savage in Limbo.”

Kathy Scambiatterra’s direction is more clever than the text. She sets Shanley’s work within the context of a children’s just-pretend session, complete with mock-spooky sound and lighting effects. Gronk designed in the same spirit. The staging is a lot more fun than the scripts, but it still doesn’t prevent the evening from entering the realm of whimsy overload.

* “Welcome to the Moon,” McCadden Theatre, 1157 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Ends Nov. 11. $15. (213) 468-9170. Running time: 1 hour, 15 minutes.