by Joel Beers OC Weekly

Call me easy, but any play in which a buxom young actress pulls a candy cane from between her breasts and puts it in my hairy little palm has displayed at least one of the required elements of superior theatrical achievement. Thereís much more to enjoy in Regali, Fantasmi e Canti, a quirky production of Rude Guerrilla that tries to blend A Christmas Carol with commedia dellíarte.

The operative word here is "tries" because director David Gallo and his colleagues arenít interested in a highly refined mixture of Dickens and Italian Renaissance theater. This low-brow, ill-mannered production is more a choppy, chunky theatrical frappe of strange, identifiable stuff. In its best moments, itís also a lot of fun.

Gallo's background work is evident in this refreshingly faithful commedia dellíarte production. Too often, companies take one or two elements of this venerated and highly influential theater form and try to pass off their plays as such. Here, we have recognizable stock characters like Scruglione (Pantalone), male characters wearing grotesque masks, song-and-dance interludes, and most important, an inventive and anarchic spirit.

There's also the barest of plots (very loosely based on A Christmas Carol) which serves as a framework around which the real business at hand is erectedócomic improvisation, ad-libs and a range of songs, including a kazoo version of Iron Butterflyís "In-a-Gadda-da-Vida."

The energetic five-person cast is mostly up to the task, particularly Andrew Nienaber's nasty chicken-ranch owner, Scruglione, and Todd Hopkinsí Piombino, the harried employee who devises a plan to haunt his boss with three apparitions in order to get Christmas Day off. That's about as far as the spoof goes. Drawing on more contemporary comic improvisation, actors single out members of the audience for ideas on what ghosts to portray. On the night I saw the show, those ideas included a podiatrist and the Grinch. This is clearly a show that can be severely hindered by an unimaginative audience. The cast strays widely within these loose moorings. Nienaber is particularly effective at improvisation, displaying a biting sense of humor made more malicious by his stooped posture and comically distorted mask. (Whoever designed those masksóor whoever borrowed them from whatever theateróis the unsung hero of this production). Overall, however, comic timing is something that can be improved throughout the show.

In a production like this, in which plot, substance and ideas are all gleefully subordinated to coarse humor and absurd antics, onstage dead time is onstage death. There are too many empty moments during which we can almost see wheels turn in the heads of some of the less-experienced cast members as they try to figure out where to go next. Still, even in its roughest, least polished moments, this is a very watchable show, one that probably changes radically from night to night. It's as faithful to commedia dellarte as it is to Rude Guerrillaís risk-taking ethos, except this time, the risk isn't that people will be offended by bare flesh on stage; it's the risk of actors falling flat on their snouts by daring to try something new. In the final analysis, that's a far more adventurous choice anyhow.

REVIEW: Rude Guerrilla's original, holiday-themed commedia dell'arte benefits from clever concept and quick-witted improv.

By ERIC MARCHESE The Orange County Register

How do theaters spell Christmas? S-C-R-O-O-G-E.

Most theaters, that is. Rude Guerrilla Theater Company, however, has claimed guerrilla warfare on the hoary Dickens tale, offering in its stead an original, commedia dell'arte effort titled "Regali, Fantasmi e Canti."

Spell it S-I-L-L-Y. Sit back, relax and let yourself laugh, because at this time of year, a little silliness can be a great relief - especially if you, like the Rude G troupe, are a bit tired of yet another version of "A Christmas Carol."

At the Empire Theater on Broadway in Santa Ana, Rude G's show--conceived and written by David Gallo and built during the rehearsal period by Gallo and his cast --delivers everything its title ("Gifts, Ghosts and Songs") promises, and much more. It's the old Scrooge tale, sure, but stood on its ear by a wacked-out commedia dell'arte troupe. Scrooge, the old curmudgeon, is now Scruglione. Two of his servants, Piombino and Oliva, are in love--or, more accurately, lust--and want Christmas Day off from work to enjoy the holiday. Scrooge--uh, Scruglione--says no way. Meantime, Capitano Fred has arrived, and he lusts after Scruglione's niece, Angelina. But Scruglione will have no part of this. So Piambino, Oliva and the Capitano plot to terrorize the crusty old guy with ghosts. It's Christmastime, so wrapped gifts abound. So do songs - silly songs, Christmas songs, pop tunes, show tunes, and whatever else pops into the heads of Gallo's entertaining, quick-thinking troupe. This is genuine commedia - part sitcom, part improv - all delivered with the kind of mock Italian accents you might hear from Anna Maria Alberghetti - or, more appropriately, "Saturday Night Live's" Father Guido Sarducci.

The improv part figures mightily into this show, which is never the same from one performance to the next. Gallo's cast members fan into the audience, exchange comments with patrons, then build joke upon joke based on an innocent remark or two. It's all in good fun. Put yourself in the hands of these five comedians and you may find yourself reduced to helpless laughter. The show opens with Piombino (Todd Hopkins) facing the set's rear corner, uri-nating into a paper cup, then cheerfully welcoming us to "the best show in Orange County." Oliva (Elana Kepner) wears skin-tight, red leather pants. Scruglione (Andrew Nienaber) cusses about "tinsel everywhere I look," orders Piombino to count his chickens--then asks for a hand count and a recount of his chickens--and makes offhand com-ments about South Coast Plaza. As in classic commedia, each character represents a stock type. Scruglione is Pantalone, the troupe's miserly codger; Piombino, its clownish Harlequino; Angelina, young maiden Isabella; Oliva, nagging wife or girlfriend Colombina; and Capitano Fred the stock military man, the Capitano.

But more importantly, Gallo's cast has perfected the improvisational technique of the commedia. What makes "Regali" so funny is the cast's ability to effectively depart from the script, then smoothly return to it. Christmas and the Scrooge legend are frequent targets, but much of the evening's humor leans on improvisations and in-jokes regarding such theater concepts as acting, rehearsing and directing. Scruglioni ridicules the famed "Christmas Carol" storyline and mocks South Coast Repertory at the same time. But SCR isn't the only local troupe kidded: Rude Guerrilla has gained a reputation for material that's either sexually racy or bloody and gory - or both - so "Regali" regales us with sex and violence jokes at RGTC's expense.At the performance reviewed, jokes were made about "Fame," Bob Fosse, and even one unassuming scribe from The Orange County Register.

As Scruglione, Andrew Nienaber functions not only as the piece's villain but also as its smart-aleck commentator. Wisely, he works a self-mocking tone into many of his remarks. Hopkins is so animated and energetic a Piombino, he's practically frantic--an approach that works beautifully, helping to hype the proceedings. Nick Lawson plays the Capitano as a boaster and a narcissistic fool (he loves to observe himself in the reflection of his sword's blade), and he, Nienaber and Hopkins are to be commended for keeping their cool while wearing rubber face masks for the show's duration (75 minutes). Bearing a T-shirt that reads "I (heart symbol) ME," Quigley's Angelina is often the butt of the other characters' jokes, which she takes in good cheer. Her prolonged death scene lampoons one of the most sacred cows in all of theaterdom. Kepner's Oliva is flirty housemaid, gold digger and virago rolled into one. Like her castmates, her comic timing is impeccable.