The Killing of Sister George
A Theatre Under the Influence at Union Garage, 1418 10th Ave, 325-6500 or 720-1942. $12. Thurs-Sat at 8 pm. Through June 8.

Set designer James Johnston has created a simple but well-thought-out environment for George's characters: It's clear that two very distinct personalities share this space. Half of the living room is functional, heavy, and squat, accented in drab '60s olive green and teak; the other half is flowery, soft, and homely, accessorized by a large collection of frilly dolls. It seems as if some half-hearted attempt to integrate the two styles has been made by the inhabitants, but the two styles pool away from each other like oil and water.

Perfect.

It is the mid 1960s and two lesbian partners share this London flat. One, June Brekenridge (Shannon Kipp), is the voice behind a popular BBC radio soap-opera character named Sister George. Sister George is a kind, temperate nursemaid; the backbone of the fictional radio community. June, on the other hand, is a repellant, braying, drunken sadist with serious abandonment issues.

June's lover is Childe (well played by Deniece Bleha), a breezy little wisp of a woman who bakes, fusses over her dolls, and tries to keep her alcoholic girlfriend from getting sauced and kicking her ass. It's a sad butch/femme stereotype, but not an unworkable one. This is because the characters (and lesbian stereotypes in general) are rounded out by a prim and exceedingly stiff BBC exec called Mrs. Mercy Croft (portrayed superbly by Alice Miller Larkin) who's come calling not only to inform June that her character Sister George is being killed off on the show, but to steal Childe away from her (Mrs. Croft's tight British manners crack to reveal her deep emotional vulnerability and true girlfriend-stealing agenda as she's petting Childe's hair, comforting her after a row with June--a delightful moment that fully illustrates Alice Miller Larkin's talents as an actress). The zest is added by Madame Xenia (excellently done by Rachel Solomon--keep your eye on her), the eccentric psychic next door.

There's tons of inherent humor and pathos in this campy little dykefest, and director Maureen Moran made the perfect choice in having the actors play characters, not caricatures. Humor always works best when played (ahem) straight, and camp always works best if you aren't pointing right at it. As a whole, Sister George seems to have done almost everything just right.