A Blur Thing

Near the end of UC Irvine’s lunatic, uneven “The Venetian Physician’s Magician,” an actor compares it to Pirandello’s “Six Characters in Search of a Play.” But someone else mockingly corrects them, saying that’s way too lofty and that it’s more like “10 actors in search of a script.”

That’s about right. This vaudevillian hodgepodge, loosely based on commedia dell’arte and concocted by director Eli Simon and members of UCI’s California Commedia Troupe, rambles all over, finding some laughs along the way but also challenging the viewer’s patience.

“The Venetian Physician’s Magician” is really just a series of skits linked under its commedia dell’arte facade. That means the setting is Venice, the players speak mostly with Italian accents and are unabashedly bawdy, and the gags fly at you nonstop.

There isn’t much of a plot, but there is a flurry of characters in wild costumes. We meet Il Dottore Corleone (Jacob Russell-Snyder), Pantalone Macaroni (Suzy Martin), Cappalina Macaroni (J. Day) and Spumone (Trevor Throop). Katie Northlich as Scallopina has some of the most wicked quips; she displays her ample cleavage, purses her lips and wonders aloud why nobody wants her. The audience loved that.

The show is at its most predictable and taxing, however, in the earlier scenes when everything is stuck in Venice and everybody is introduced.

What would you expect with lines like these? For instance, we’re told that one of Il Dottore’s daughters, the one named Marinara (Alyson Diebert), is “saucy.” Another character is described as looking “like a million bucks . . . or a million schmucks.” Ba-da-boooom!

It gets more inventive and amusing later on, when the cast finds inspiration in contemporary sources, from Michael Jackson (an easy target if ever there was one) to the movies. “The Lion King,” “The Godfather,” “Austin Powers” and, of course, the “Star Wars” series all get goosed, repeatedly.

The bits come furiously, almost blurringly, and some have a higher relief than others. The spoof of Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance” isn’t especially original, but it’s still funny watching an unsteady line of dancers clogging away as their ego-fat leader preens in step.

The production’s most satisfying feature turns out to be the costumes, assembled from the UCI drama department’s stock by the entire company. There’s plenty of heehawing haphazardness in these mixtures--you can find eye spice even when the gags are less than tasty.

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* “The Venetian Physician’s Magician,” UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor Bren Theatre, West Peltason Drive and Mesa Road. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday. $6-$10. Ends Saturday. (949) 824-2787. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Suzy Martin: Pantalone Macaroni

J. Day: Cappalina Macaroni

Katie Northlich: Scallopina

Jacob Russell-Snyder: Il Dottore Corleone

Wynne Earle: Pomodorisima Corleone

Eddie Herda: Anchovy Corleone

Alyson Diebert: Marinara Corleone

Trevor Throop: Spumone

Glenn Sidwell: Il Capitano Vinchenzo

Nick McGee: Il Capitano Alfredo

A UCI California Commedia Troupe original production written by Eli Simon and troupe members. Directed by Eli Simon. Set: Ellen C. King. Lighting: K.C. Sieckowski. Costumes and masks: The California Commedia Troupe. Stage manager: Kerry A. Masek.