Review: ‘Fluffy Bunnies in a Field of Daisies’ at Arena: such fluff

When first produced in the summer of 2002, writer-director Matt Chaffee’s “Fluffy Bunnies in a Field of Daisies” found a large and appreciative audience, as evidenced by its off-again, on-again three-year run. Obviously, Chaffee’s send-up of the sexual absurdities of eight wacky young urbanites proved a blessedly silly diversion after the ravages of 9/11.

It’s all about the zeitgeist. Now in its 10-year revival at the Arena Stage, the show remains inarguably fluffy and funny, yet what may have seemed over-the-top and outrageous in 2002 now seems ever so slightly dated. Finding fault with this lighter-than-air vehicle seems a bit curmudgeonly, yet in these recessionary times, the characters’ obsessive focus on their romantic travails, with nary a whisper of their financial struggles, seems a bit far-fetched.

Still, in Chaffee’s charming and well-paced staging, the attractive actors romp through their material with a jack rabbit energy that elicits frequent laughter. All are double-cast, with a different mix of performers each night.

The plot concerns four trash-talking friends who meet regularly at a local bar to discuss their latest sexual exploits. From there, the action flashes back to various encounters in which our heroes mate freely and prolifically with a series of accommodating dates.

The second act commences with a wild dance, in which all the characters throw themselves around the stage with goofy abandon. That completely extraneous yet delightful bit of business seems appropriate to this determinedly frivolous entertainment, which a decade later still has the power to amuse.

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“Fluffy Bunnies in a Field of Daisies,” the Arena Stage at Theatre of Arts, 1625 N. Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. Ends July 28. $30. www.fluffybunnies.tix.com. Running time: 2 hours.