‘Star’ Shines on Latent Love in a Dysfunctional Family

Lee Murphy’s fanciful tale, “Catch a Falling Star,” is about a minor celebrity’s fall from grace and her redemption within an amiably dysfunctional family, rendered in loving and humorous detail at International City Theatre.

It’s been five years, but Ginny (Precious Chong) is going back to her small Texas hometown because “I’m crazy and it’s my birthday.” She must also face her parents before a dark secret from her past becomes public.

Despite tornado warnings, her mother (Laurel Lockhart) has worked the town into a tizzy for an all-out celebrity birthday celebration. Ginny’s gruff, alcoholic father (Don Paul) is annoyed that this fuss may cut into quality TV time, and warns that he doesn’t want that spacey, Buddhist son-in-law Buzz (Randall Rapstine) in the house. In tight, black clam-digger pants and a bright red leotard that barely confines her pulchritude, Margret-Ann (Gail Godown), Buzz’s wife, delights in food and the delicious possibilities of her sister’s downfall.

Director Richard Hochberg balances whimsy with reality to create a family filled with long-term grudges and latent love. Chong gives Ginny an air of sentimental resignation as she is caught in her mother’s ambitious whirl. Godown is sarcastic and sweetly malicious as the younger, plumper daughter always left in her pretty sister’s shadow.

The end may be a little sappy and simplistic, but that’s to be expected. Murphy has created a ditzy family under surreal circumstances, and even disasters--natural and man-made--don’t really darken the future.

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* “Catch a Falling Star,” International City Theatre, Long Beach City College campus, Clark Street and Harvey Way, Long Beach. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends Nov. 15. $22. (562) 938-4128. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.