On Theater:

Each season, the Repertory Theater at OCC closes out the season with its One-Act Play Festival, a series of playlets both from well-known authors and OCC playwrights. And, as usual, this year’s octet runs the creative gamut.

Order “A” consists of four diverse plays — “Johnny & Wilma,” “Ledge, Ledger and the Legend,” “The Prisoner” and “Naomi in the Living Room.” Order “B” offers “Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen,” “On an Overcast Day,” “Imperfections” and “Sure Thing.”

The best of the first lot is “Johnny & Wilma,” one of the four playlets which comprise Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna’s 1960s-vintage stage comedy “Lovers and Other Strangers.” It’s a battle of the sexes with the bed as the battleground as Brandon Crisler and Chesley Rae Holland skillfully conduct their boudoir warfare under the crisp direction of Jamie R. Smith.

The setting for Paul Elliott’s “Ledge, Ledger and the Legend” is, aptly enough, a ledge — this one several stories up where a young woman (Angelica Sinajon) is prepared (well, sort of) to leap to her death. Interventionist Aaron Drake arrives to offer tips on the perfect dive, while a rival (Shawn Greenfield) drops in to provide further conflict.

Director Nicholas Crumpton’s staging is entertaining in fits and starts, though somewhat circuitous and repetitive.

Writer-director Joon Hur’s “The Prisoner” is a Nazi military officer (Morgan Weiss) being grilled after the war by a pair of Poles (Elliot Glasser and Mylene Delaire) who differ on interrogation methods. It’s strong stuff with fine performances on all counts, particularly from the seething, revenge-bent character played by Glasser.

The evening’s closer in Order “A” is “Naomi in the Living Room,” one of those wacky Christopher Durang playlets from his earlier, more experimental period. It’s a classic exercise in outlandish, over-the-top comedy for an envelope-pushing actress, in this case Liliana Frandsen, as a psychotic harridan terrorizing her cross-dressing son (Paul Bouyear) and his mousy wife (Tiffany Kaufmann).

Launching Order “B” is Tennessee Williams’ “Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen,” which is just what it implies — one character talks while the other listens. Brandon Crisler and Jamie Renee Smith trade monologues splendidly in this moody piece directed by Tiffanie Cheng, whose choice of background music is terrific.

“On an Overcast Day” has nothing to do with the weather. It’s writer-director David Salai’s concept of what might happen if an actor auditioned for five plays on the same day and got cast in three of them.

Elliot Glasser enacts this lucky (?) guy with Chris Dickson (in multiple roles), Blair Camarillo, Angelica Sinajon and Marissa Israel providing spirited support.

As for “Imperfections,” let’s just say it’s the night’s most accurate title. Ron Doran’s convoluted exercise set in the literary world offers four interesting characters attempting to negotiate a foundering plot.

Tiffany Kaufman, Aaron Drake, Michael Phillips and Liliana Frandsen perform under Teresa Rios’ direction.

David Ives’ “Sure Thing,” directed by William Hart and closing Order “B,” is a familiar acting exercise in which two performers re-enact a chance café meeting until they presumably get it right. Shala Famouri and Paul Bouyear both excel at the tricky concept.

The One-Act Play Festival concludes this weekend and each night includes some tasty dramatic and comic meat on which to chew.

If You Go

WHAT: OCC One-Act Play Festival

WHERE: OCC, Drama Lab Studio Theater

WHEN: Order “A” 8 tonight and Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday; order “B” 8 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday

COST: $7

CALL: (714) 432-5880

TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot.