Strong Story, Cast Power ‘Clutches’

“Supernormal Clutches,” Pamela Gray’s new “lesbian comedy” at the Celebration, is a riotous romp that could score big laughs at a conservative rally. Well . . . maybe that’s going a bit far. Suffice to say that the sexual orientation of Gray’s characters seems secondary to the wit and warmth of her play, which takes lesbian theater a quantum leap toward the mainstream.

Gray’s plot may strike some as slightly “sit-commy,” but this deceptively simple yet strong story gets a stratospheric boost from director Dona Guevara Hill and a superlative cast.

Susan Mosher stars as the hilariously edgy Randy, a “supernormally clutchy” lesbian constantly on the brink of romantic desperation. Evonne Kezios plays practical Peg, Randy’s girlfriend-turned-lover-turned-girlfriend, who triggers Randy’s gale-force temper when she falls for Randy’s new roommate Yvonne (Peggy Blow). Dana Peterson portrays self-obsessed nut-case Meryl, whose motor-mouthed inanity would empty a cemetery. And Louahn Lowe is the no-nonsense Tina, who just might turn Randy’s life around.

Originally commissioned by Celebration artistic director Robert Schrock, “Clutches” appeared as a one-act in the theater’s “Lesbian Seagulls” in 1994. Buoyed by the play’s positive response, Schrock encouraged Gray to develop her piece into a full-length comedy. Gray delivers--and then some.

* “Supernormal Clutches,” Celebration Theatre, 7051-B Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Thursdays-Sundays, 8 p.m.; signed for the hearing-impaired on Sept. 27. Ends Oct. 27. $20. (213) 857-8085. Running time: 2 hours.