‘Storyteller’ Spins a Trail of Yarns

With his gravelly voice and thin, puckish appearance, Ron Shock is “The Storyteller.” He certainly has interesting stories to tell, but the telling is somewhat lacking. At the Century City Playhouse, he regales the audience with stories of his life as a seminary student, jewel thief, prison inmate, gambler and corporate consultant in a homey, low-key style.

Drawing from Texas tale-spinning traditions, he recounts his boyhood in Amarillo, “halfway between Chicago and Los Angeles” on Route 66, but a “century behind.” He tells us a few shaggy-dog stories about real dogs and masturbation, a weed-toking wedding in Australia and his take on Oral Roberts via his own Church of Logical Thought.

While he is generally amusing, as a whole the show lacks momentum. Shock repeats himself to make sure we get the point, and this redundancy stalls the flow of each story--a problem that director Ellen Herrington hasn’t effectively dealt with. Only in the last segment, when Shock is pondering on Roberts, do things jell, indicating what might have been.

The interplay with singer-guitarist Kenny Moore (backed by last-minute replacement John Groover McDuffie, also on guitar) works well. Moore’s funny ditties add sparkle to the show and his presence bolsters the relaxed, laid-back atmosphere.

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* “The Storyteller,” Century City Playhouse, 10508 W. Pico, Century City. Thursdays-Sundays, 8 p.m. Ends Oct. 12. $20. (888) 566-8499. Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes.