Santa Maria Civic Theatre offers a poignant portrayal of John Patrick/s play "The Curious Savage."

It captures the heartwarming essence of the story without being too sentimental. Likewise, it consistently maintains the humorous dialogue without trying too hard to garner laughs.

Directed by Lynda Mondragon, the play, which runs at the Civic Theatre until Feb. 26, tells what happens when wealthy widow Mrs. Ethel Savage, enthusiastically portrayed by Clare Terrill, is sent to a psychiatric institution by her three stepchildren. The greedy children commit Savage in hopes of shocking her into giving them the money she received from her husband/s estate.

But Savage has her own ideas on how to use the money. She wants to give it to people to spend on things that will make them happy, even if those things seem ridiculous to her stepchildren and others.

David Lori, set constructor, and Jim Barber and Carolyn Lori, set decorators, do an impressive job of creating The Cloisters, the institution where a small group of middle-class adults live.

The set, which resembles a living room from the early 1950s, feels immediately inviting with its slightly worn furniture and accents of blue, beige and other soft hues.

It is a cozy environment in which to introduce the residents of The Cloisters, who each have some idiosyncrasy. Hannibal, played by Steve MacNeil, for example, thinks he/s a virtuoso on the violin, when really he can/t play a lick. Mrs. Paddy, played by Valerie Pallai, won/t talk, except to list, at length, everything she hates. And Florence, played by Marcia Wolf, carries around a doll who, she thinks, is her son John Thomas.

Adding to the humor of the situation is the fact that the others are well aware of each other/s weaknesses, but not their own.

Although Saturday night/s performance got off to a slow start 77 the actors/ energy seemed slightly lacking at first77 it was easy to forgive this minor imperfection.

Overall, the cast gives a solid, smooth performance. Their chemistry aids in the comedic timing and moments where the characters react directly to one another, such as when Hannibal plays his violin, and the characters act like they enjoy it merely to humor him.

Terrill/s entrance about midway through the first act definitely revs up the play. It almost seems as if the others were waiting until she arrived to get the party started, so to speak.

From that point on, the energy welcomingly continues to surge.

It escalates in several scenes, including one in which Savage/s bond certificates have been taken from the table during a blackout and her stepson Titus, played by Bob Larsen, grills Mrs. Paddy about where they are.

Larsen is convincingly desperate here, his loud yelling and shaking of Mrs. Paddy bordering on frightening.

Terrill/s performance as the feisty, yet deeply caring, Savage stands out for several reasons. A member of the Santa Maria Civic Theatre since 1984, Terrill knows when she needs to be the no-nonsense woman, and when to soften into the mother-like figure.

One of the most touching scenes in the play is when Savage discovers that Jeffrey (played innocently, yet maturely by Josh Cornell), a young man who spends much of the play covering his cheek so that people won/t see a scar on his face, is a professional piano player. She sweetly tells him that a person/s worth stems from what/s on the inside.

Katie Rhine shines as Fairy May, a melodramatic and easily excitable young woman.

Despite speaking some of her early lines as if rushed 77 which made them difficult to understand 77 Rhine more than makes up for it throughout the rest of the play.

Some of the play/s funniest moments are thanks to Rhine, who amusingly says lines like "I wish I were dead," after she feels rejected or embarrassed.

She steals the scene where she decides to look at a picture in the newspaper of Savage/s stepdaughter Lily Belle, played by Molly Kasdan. Until this point, Fairy has refused to look at the newspaper until it/s a month old 77 it/s a habit of all Cloisters residents as a way to keep the sadness and violence of the real world out of their lives.

She takes some devilish delight in helping Savage put the picture of Lily Belle/s face on the dart board so they can throw darts at it.

Kasdan is also particularly good as the selfish, spoiled Lily Belle.

She gets under the skin, carrying the part with a snobbish sophistication, but regressing at times to the whiny-schoolgirl-not-getting-her-way within.

Kasdan/s moments of pouting and huffing are amusing. Her exaggerated sobs after Mrs. Savage bites her are particularly satisfying.

Although the ending is surprisingly bittersweet 77 at least one person in the audience looked as if she was wiping a tear from her eye 77 "The Curious Savage" leaves a feeling of what/s important: friends, love, and the littlest joys in life.

Santa Maria Civic Theatre will perform "The Curious Savage" Feb. 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26 at the theater, at 1660 North McClelland Street in Santa Maria. Call 922-4442 for tickets or information; fax 937-1391; or e-mail info@ smct.org.

* Staff Writer Britt Fairchild can be reached at 739-2220 or by e-mail at bfairchild@ pulitzer.net.

Feb. 11, 2005