A Humor-Filled Profile in Courage

In his solo piece “My Brain Tumor” at the Century City Playhouse, writer-performer David Nathan Schwartz wittily recounts his personal ordeal with a benign but potentially lethal brain cyst. Richly detailed and funny, the show is made all the more amusing--and poignant--by its subject’s complete lack of self-pity.

The proceedings open on an upbeat note. Schwartz, a struggling actor, has just booked two national commercials and a television show--his biggest career break to date. Unfortunately, his exhilaration is short-lived. After collapsing at a casting callback, Schwartz is rushed to Cedars-Sinai, where he listens aghast to his dire diagnosis.

A gifted caricaturist, Schwartz vividly renders the various characters revolving around him during his hospital stay and subsequent surgery. Some, particularly Schwartz’s Hollywood associates, are grossly insensitive narcissists, especially when contrasted with his eccentric but kindly hospital caregivers, an ethnically diverse group linked by a common humanity.

It’s hard to believe that a fast-talking dynamo like Schwartz suffered vocal paralysis after his surgery. Apparently restored to full voice and vigor, Schwartz occasionally over-blows his otherwise galvanic performance, although director Joel Swetow’s unerringly subtle staging smooths over the rare rough patches. Charles Dayton’s inventive sound design facilitates some of the funniest moments in this hilarious, harrowing testament to human endurance and to the healing power of humor.

* “My Brain Tumor,” Century City Playhouse, 10508 W. Pico Blvd. Tuesdays only, 8 p.m. Ends July 8. $15. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.