A Kafka nightmare shatters into shards

One wonders how Franz Kafka, so famously shaken by the 20th century rift between bureaucracy and individuality that his last wish was for his unpublished writings to be burned, would deal with the post-millennial condition. That notion drives “Kafka Thing” at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble. This ambient sampler of short works by the oracle of alienation aims to relocate Kafka’s voice through determined deconstruction.

Developed by members of resident ensemble KOAN under Ron Sossi’s direction, “Kafka Thing” interweaves short stories and diary entries with a dizzying array of theatrical techniques. From symbolist mime to cinematic dissolves, the palette of styles is as varied as Kurt Thum’s sound design, which stretches from Bartok to Frank Zappa.

Matthew Egan’s monochromatic setting, all rolling cages and sudden bareness, gets palpable depth from Mike Durst’s lights and Gelareh Khalioun’s multiperiod costume parade. Moreover, Sossi’s cast races toward the void with unremitting energy.

Luis Zambrano’s authorial surrogate has unusual presence, while company mainstay Beth Hogan is valiant and especially fearless in the “Metamorphosis” compression. They are joined by colleagues Alan Abelew, Deana Cignoni, Debbie McMahon, Amanda Street, Cary Thompson and Norman Victor.

Everyone’s avid efforts are certainly Kafkaesque. Whether average tastes will take to the collegiate collage is a murkier question. The overstretched scenario fails to fuse its technically proficient sections. By the ending, we are not sure how we got there. Devotees should decide for themselves. It’s a Kafka thing.

-- David C. Nichols

“Kafka Thing,” Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West L.A. 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays, except March 13, 27, April 3, 17, 3 p.m. No shows April 6 or 13. Ends April 17. $20.50 to $25. (310) 477-2055 or www.odysseytheatre.com. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.

*

A star on trial: The crowd roars

In the age of Paris Hilton and the Michael Jackson trial, it’s touching to find a dramatist intent on believing only the best about her tabloid-tarred subject. But in telling the story of how the high-flying career of pie-hurling silent-film genius Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was destroyed in 1921 by a trumped-up celebrity trial, must playwright Kathrine Bates turn the guy into a bleeding saint?

In “Roar of the Crowd” at Theatre 40, Bates depicts an unfailingly courtly Arbuckle (Wayne Thomas Yorke), after wondering aloud to pal Buster Keaton (Abbie Selznick) “how I’ll be remembered,” embarking for the debauched San Francisco shindig that would seal his legacy. When a promiscuous young starlet, Virginia Rappe (Nicola Seixas), dies after the revelry, her dubious companion Maude Delmont (Jackie Maruschak) insists that Arbuckle had something to do with it.

Though smaller than Arbuckle, Yorke is an affecting figure, particularly in a joshing but surprisingly sincere rendition of “Vesti la giubba.” But he’s a mere marshmallow waiting to be toasted by a pair of villains worthy of melodrama: Maruschak’s irredeemable harridan and Gordon Thomson’s silkily duplicitous D.A.

Keaton, meanwhile, is a narrator-conscience out of Arthur Miller, railing at the injustice done to his friend.

Director Flora Plumb makes the most of Jeff G. Rack’s Art Deco set, and Elizabeth Huffman’s costumes are unstintingly lovely. But the nostalgia buffs who frequent the Fairfax District’s Silent Movie Theater are about the only constituency to whom this belabored effort can be recommended without reservation.

-- Rob Kendt

“Roar of the Crowd,” Theatre 40, 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills High School campus, Beverly Hills. 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; also 2 p.m. this Saturday and March 5 and 13. Ends March 13. $18 and $20. (310) 364-0535. www .theatre40.org. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.

*

When murder pauses for laughs

“Freud said, ‘The eternal question is, what do women really want?’ The answer is so simple: more shoes.”

That quip suggests the tone of “Never Murder a Ghost,” William Link’s new comic mystery about a homicidal husband, his new bride and her murdered predecessors.

Veteran TV scribe Link (“Columbo,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “That Certain Summer”) jury-rigs Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit” and Ira Levin’s “Deathtrap.” After a super-expository scene between gambler Victor Caldwell (Michael Bayouth) and his latest wife, Joyce Ann (Aubrey Joy Saverino), Victor exits. Danny Truxaw’s lighting zeros in on Joyce Ann, rising to reveal two women in the statuary porticoes of Charles Hall’s agreeable set.

These are Victor’s deceased spouses: arch Boston blueblood Audra (Fay Gauthier) and wisecracking, Bronx-cheery Kate (Noel Britton). The spectral wives, plus another alleged Victor victim, Cheryl (Elaine O’B. Capogeannis), urge Joyce Ann to do unto her mate before he can do her in.

Dialogue consists of explication and zingers, with critical points embedded alongside red herrings. This assists the Act 2 twists, yet surprise isn’t suspense, and director Jon Berry sustains joviality better than danger.

Given this disconnect, Saverino, Gauthier and Britton come off best. Capogeannis succumbs to the MacGuffin mechanics of her role, while Bayouth lacks charisma and menace.

Fans of Link’s work may enjoy “Never Murder a Ghost,” but it won’t necessarily slay them.

-- D.C.N.

“Never Murder a Ghost,” West Valley Playhouse, 7242 Owensmouth Ave., Canoga Park. 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Ends March 6. $22. (818) 884-1907. Running time: 2 hours