Setting Up Camp at a Pair of Goofy Comedies

If you’re in the mood for a freewheeling evening of high camp, admittedly slight but undeniably stylish, then “Suitcase Tales” at the Odyssey could be your ticket.

Don’t look for a profound thematic link between these two short playlets, both of which depict eccentric show-biz types teetering on the brink of insanity.

There, the similarities stop. The opener, Murray Schisgal’s “The Flatulist,” directed by Ron Sossi, is a scatological romp that features Eric Poppick as a theatrical agent and Steve Rosenbaum as a has-been who bears him a fatal grudge. It’s an unabashedly sophomoric offering, a vulgar wish-fulfillment fantasy for any artist who has been dismissed or exploited by vulgarians.

The second play, Charles Ludlam’s “The Ventriloquist’s Wife,” sends up the familiar theme of the evil ventriloquist’s dummy to hilarious effect. Director Richard Hochberg exacts beautifully detailed performances from Charles LaFont, as a ventriloquist in thrall of his malevolent dummy, and Sheila Traviss, as his beleaguered better half. From Scott Siedman’s hoot of a set to Denise Blasor’s extravagant costumes, this is fluff of a high order, rigorously executed and fun. Garishly attired chanteuses Donna Pieroni and Sandy Mulvihill entertain us during scene changes.

BE THERE

“Suitcase Tales,” Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m.; this Sunday and April 11 only, 2 p.m. Ends May 2. $18.50-$22.50. (310) 477-2055. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.