Brash humor fuels story
about a disjointed family

"Over the Tavern," presented by Manoa Valley Theatre, continues at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdaysand Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 4 p.m. Sundays, through Jan. 30. Tickets are $25. Call 988-6131.

Catholics who believe in their church and its clergy as forces for good won't find much to like about Manoa Valley Theatre's Hawaii premiere of "Over the Tavern." The church and its centuries-old doctrines, represented by a dogmatic ruler-wielding nun, provide nothing but fear, guilt, pain, abuse and low self-esteem for generation after generation in this erratic dark comedy about a dysfunctional Polish-American family.

The story is a "semi-fictionalized" portrait of playwright Tom Dudzick's childhood experiences as an intelligent and preternaturally articulate pre-teen in Buffalo, N.Y., in the late 1950s. But anyone expecting a Neil Simon-style retrospective will find the comedy broader and louder, and the dark moments far grimmer. One of the "surprises" is easily anticipated: The resolution of a festering generational conflict seems driven more by needs of the plot than by character development.

First and foremost, this is the story of Rudy Pazinski. Rudy is 12 and preparing for his confirmation but struggling to find relevance in the process of memorizing Catholic doctrines and dogma. Rudy's earnest, albeit sometimes provocative, questions about various matters of faith result in such a knuckle-busting response from the terrifying Sister Clarissa that he eventually announces that he doesn't believe in hell, would prefer to go to public school with the Protestants, and has decided to "shop around" before committing to a religion.

Rudy's rebellion shocks his parents, who already have plenty of problems. Mom is struggling to keep an eye on four kids and run the household on a limited budget. Dad is distant, and apparently none too successful at running his bar and grill downstairs. The two older children are struggling with innocent sexual concerns -- big brother Eddie gets busted with a copy of "Playboy," while sister Annie longs for the type of romantic relationship she saw in an "artistic" foreign movie.

Younger brother Georgie spends much of his time watching TV and sucking his thumb.

Director Linda Johnson treats the characters' trials and tribulations as fodder for a loud and broad farce in which audience involvement is limited to laughing at the Pazinskis' misadventures --without developing any sense of empathy with them.

Duncan Dalzell (Eddie) shows a great knack for sitcom-style comedy in a scene in which Sister Clarissa visits the Pazinskis' apartment; Marcella Knox (Annie) steals a scene or two when she comes out with her hair piled in a "beehive" rather than proper Catholic-schoolgirl braids; and Ray Bumatai distinguishes himself throughout Act I as the bombastic but well-intentioned father.

Two scenes take the production in radically different directions. Karen and Ray Bumatai touch the heart in a scene where the beleaguered parents attempt to reconnect. OK, Karen and Ray are husband and wife playing husband and wife, but it's a beautiful and thoroughly believable performance, and for a few fleeting moments gives the audience something to care about. Will they work it out or not?

Karen Bumatai is joined by Knox in the other change-of-pace scene. Mom recounts her experiences as a budding child-woman to help Annie come to terms with her developing sexuality. The performances here are so realistic and finely shaded that it's like stepping into another production entirely. The har-de-har-har stuff comes to a sudden halt as we watch a sensitive and perceptive woman help her daughter through a potentially embarrassing moment.

It's a Pookela Award-worthy performance by Karen Bumatai!

Tucker Haworth (Rudy) shoulders the load as the show's protagonist, giving a consistent performance as a stiff intellectual without ever involving us in the outcome of Rudy's rebellion. April Dawn Vogel (Sister Clarissa) makes a fine villain. Cole Gindhart (Georgie) is eerily convincing as a retarded child who gets attention by yelling an expletive.

"Over the Tavern" has the feel of a raucous TV sitcom leavened by the occasional scenes in which character relationships aren't played for laughs.

Sound designer Jason Taglianetti adds another dimension with clever recorded announcements that run before show time and during scene changes. Folks who don't find religious humor offensive will find plenty of laughs to be had here.