Life-Affirming One-Act Plays by Redoubtable Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury can spot the sinister impulses lurking in society’s shadows, but he’s still more attuned to life’s affirming power, its unexpected humor and simple joys.

These latter qualities suffuse “Bradbury: Past, Present and Future,” a trio of genial, almost poetic one-act plays presented by Bradbury’s Pandemonium Theatre Company at the Court Theatre.

In each story, the premise is easy to guess, and it’s a one-joke payoff. Yet stylish visuals and warm portrayals by the cast of 16--which includes recognizable character actors Len Lesser (Uncle Leo on “Seinfeld”) and Pat Sturges--make the whole seem greater than the sum of its parts.

The title refers to the plays’ settings: “A Medicine for Melancholy” takes place in London in 1750; “The Day It Rained Forever” in present-day Arizona; and “Henry the Ninth” on the cliffs of Dover, England, in 2079. All three are based on short stories from the 1950s. The first two have been presented before in L.A.; “Henry the Ninth” is new.

Charles Rome Smith, a longtime theatrical collaborator of Bradbury’s, directed the plays, crafting a different style for each. “A Medicine for Melancholy” is a sort of fairy tale; “The Day It Rained Forever” is meditative and gently humorous; and “Henry the Ninth” whispers with the voices of Shakespeare and Dickens.

Terry Evans’ scenic design is a blank slate of skewed walls that serve as all-purpose, slightly disorienting backdrops, while Peter Strauss’ lights evoke everything from moonlit romance to the baking desert sun.

Bradbury has always loved the theater, and, at 81, he’s been seeing his work produced all over town lately. His fans will take as much as they can get.

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“Bradbury: Past, Present and Future,” Court Theatre, 722 N. La Cienega Blvd., L.A. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 6 p.m. Ends. Aug. 17. $15. (323) 655-8587. Running time: 1 hour, 55 minutes.