Ron House’s ‘Arch’ Scheme

The adjectives to describe his farces pile up--zany, wacky, loony, silly, crazy--and he would not mind adding to the list.

“Basically,” Ron House says of his latest, “California Schemin’,” opening tonight at the Gem Theater in Garden Grove, “it’s as close as you get can to camp without being camp.”

Campy?

“What that means, I think, is that the females are so exaggerated they’re almost like drag queens--but they’re not.”

He pauses to reflect.

“Arch,” he says.

House is best known as part of Low Moan Spectacular, the London comedy troupe of the 1970s and ‘80s that wrote and performed “El Grande de Coca Cola” and “Bullshot Crummond” to international acclaim.

“The last time we did something together was about eight years ago,” the Chicago-born writer, 58, said of the erstwhile troupe’s two other mainstays, Alan Shearman and Diz White. “This one is just me. I wanted to continue writing plays. They didn’t.”

House, who started in theater with Second City in the 1960s, will direct a notable cast that includes Emmy award-winner Marabina Jaimes of PBS’ “Storytime”; Mark Blankfield, winner of a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for multiple roles in a 1995 revival of “Bullshot Crummond,” and Denise Moses, of “Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding.”

Rewritten from an earlier version produced five years ago by the Sacramento Theatre Company, “California Schemin’ ” was inspired by late-night television salesmen, the sort that pitch seminars offering shortcuts to success.

“It’s about a small-time hustler,” House says, “and basically it takes off on people I know in West Hollywood.”

If the style of this farce--perhaps best described as over the top--resembles his Low Moan Spectacular collaborations, the substance doesn’t, he maintains.

“Those,” House says, “were period pieces. This one is modern.”

Given the success of “El Grande de Coca Cola” (4,500 performances worldwide) and “Bullshot Crummond” (3,500 and made into a film produced by former Beatle George Harrison), why suddenly the Gem Theater in Garden Grove?

“Because,” he says, “if I ask theaters in L.A., New York or London that did those shows to do a new show, they just won’t. Here they’re willing to take a chance, and I’m grateful.”

* “California Schemin’ ” opens tonight and continues through Nov. 9, Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Grove Theater Center, Gem Theater, 12852 Main St., Garden Grove. $16.50-$22.50. (714) 741-9550.