Path to ‘Down South’ Filled With Wild Risks

Doug Field’s “Down South,” at the Flight Theatre, is set in a comfy suburb of Erie, Pa., at the height of the Cuban missile crisis. Don’t jump to any conclusions--despite the backdrop of looming nuclear disaster, this is madcap comedy of the silliest order.

The “south” of the title isn’t just a geographical reference. It’s anatomical, a wink-wink, nudge-nudge allusion to those “naughty bits”--as Monty Python referred to them.

Jennifer Barnes (Alice Vaughn), a ‘60s housewife with a bouffant flip that requires a lift ticket, is getting fed up with her husband Bob’s amatory shortcomings. Himself a sexually ambivalent basket (or is that closet?) case, Bob (Anthony DeSantis) seeks advice from his co-worker Eddie (Dean Fortunato), then decides that Jennifer should take a few lessons in self-pleasure from Eddie’s hot-to-trot wife Cheryl (Erin McLaughlin). Bob doesn’t realize it, but he’s lighting a fuse that will ultimately blast Jennifer free of her conservative mold and wreck their marriage.

Field’s over-the-top sex farce is so crass it’s actually risky. Fortunately, director Rick Sparks, whose local credits include “Psycho Beach Party” and “Highballs Ahoy,” knows how to finesse a camp extravaganza.

So do his seasoned comic actors, who use Field’s thin plot as the perfect excuse to reel in substantial laughs.

Heidi Locke’s retro set and Paule Doss’ parodic period costumes are standouts, as is Audrey Rapoport as Sue Stevens, the nosy neighbor who gets an eyeful of the goings-on next door.

David Bicha plays Stephen Stevens, Rapoport’s comically mismatched husband, a flighty soul who winds up initiating one of the most manic dance scenes this side of the Peppermint Lounge. But then, this entire cast gets wild and crazy--and gets away with it.

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* “Down South,” Flight Theatre at the Complex, 6472 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Ends April 22. $10. (323) 960-8511. Running time:1 hour, 20 minutes.