Insights Served Behind the Bar

Louis Mustillo takes us to a place where everyone knows your name, but not to the cozy Boston basement or the trendy Hollywood spots. In his one-man “Bartenders,” at Theatre/Theater, he has distilled his observations into six sharply realized portraits of New York City bartenders who serve up pointed lessons about the psychology of drinking, yet aren’t always above the lure of the liquid.

Mustillo speaks authoritatively about his former profession with his in-your-face, blue-collar accents and mannerisms. He begins as a bartender who suckers Ivy League guys into giving him good tips.

Then he becomes a slightly tipsy man remembering one perfect Christmas with a girlfriend who has now left him for a man with a profession that she could respect.

In another sketch, a veteran bartender retrains a newcomer about the more practical side of the profession. Then, a man on a losing streak is being sued for serving a customer who later has an auto accident.

Mustillo’s next subject has fallen from great heights, recalling “how simple, how much fun it was” in the late 1970s when he was drinking and drugging himself out of business.

The final bar owner criticizes the realism of “Cheers” and movie portrayals while complaining about the psychological toll of the work.

Under Jack Kehler and Janis Powell’s direction, Mustillo moves seamlessly to each clearly defined character. His writing skillfully blends self-deprecatory humor with pathos, which he delivers with great flair.

BE THERE

“Bartenders,” Theatre/Theater, 6425 Hollywood Blvd., 4th floor, Hollywood. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Through Oct. 16. $12. (323) 871-9433. Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.