Setting Up Camp at a Pair of Goofy Comedies

If you’re in the mood for a freewheeling evening of high camp, admittedly slight but undeniably stylish, then “Suitcase Tales� at the Odyssey could be your ticket.

Don’t look for a profound thematic link between these two short playlets, both of which depict eccentric show-biz types teetering on the brink of insanity.

There, the similarities stop. The opener, Murray Schisgal’s “The Flatulist,� directed by Ron Sossi, is a scatological romp that features Eric Poppick as a theatrical agent and Steve Rosenbaum as a has-been who bears him a fatal grudge. It’s an unabashedly sophomoric offering, a vulgar wish-fulfillment fantasy for any artist who has been dismissed or exploited by vulgarians.

The second play, Charles Ludlam’s “The Ventriloquist’s Wife,� sends up the familiar theme of the evil ventriloquist’s dummy to hilarious effect. Director Richard Hochberg exacts beautifully detailed performances from Charles LaFont, as a ventriloquist in thrall of his malevolent dummy, and Sheila Traviss, as his beleaguered better half. From Scott Siedman’s hoot of a set to Denise Blasor’s extravagant costumes, this is fluff of a high order, rigorously executed and fun. Garishly attired chanteuses Donna Pieroni and Sandy Mulvihill entertain us during scene changes.

BE THERE

“Suitcase Tales,� Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m.; this Sunday and April 11 only, 2 p.m. Ends May 2. $18.50-$22.50. (310) 477-2055. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.