Actors sparkle in joyous ‘Act 3...’

The Laguna Playhouse has mounted productions with just one or two characters over the past few years, but few have been quite as creative and downright enjoyable as the current attraction, “Act 3...”

The sprightly comedy by David Ambrose and Claudia Nellens borrows heavily from a plot employed in such movies as “The Shop Around the Corner,” “In the Good Old Summertime” and “You’ve Got Mail,” as well as the Broadway musical “She Loves Me.” Two people are corresponding anonymously, but in this version one of them is well aware of the caper.

At Laguna, this updated comedy is headlined by the sterling talents of Rita Rudner and Charles Shaughnessy. They play a long-involved but unmarried couple — billed only as She and He — whose romance seemingly has reached its sell-by date. He, a playwright, seems to be less concerned with his lover than in finding a third act for his latest opus.

But She, apparently recalling those aforementioned stories, decides to spice things up by emailing him a fan letter from a fictitious “Serena,” a mysterious foreign beauty. When she’s in that mode, Rudner’s voice drops several octaves for contrast.

Rudner, as the instigator of this deliciously funny charade, is a comedic gem, slipping in and out of the Serena character with a flourish as she shares her strategy with the audience. Her pinpoint timing elevates an already delightful performance.

Shaughnessy, a British import, has the more vocally showy character and stomps through his role as though he were Rex Harrison a half-century ago. His frustration, exacerbated by Rudner’s pointed quips, is hilarious to watch.

Both performers shine under the direction of Martin Bergman (Rudner’s husband), who skillfully guides them through a comical maze of Internet interaction. It’s Laguna residents Bergman and Rudner’s first hometown collaboration since “Tickled Pink” showed at the playhouse three years ago.

Scenic designer Jim Prodger’s sparse settings are whisked on and off stage with alacrity, while Don Guy’s lighting designs set the actors apart when they’re playing to the audience rather than each other. There’s no program credit given for choreography, so it must be assumed that director Bergman blocked the intricate curtain call.

“Act 3...” is a delicious updating of a vintage plot line that further shimmers with the superb talents of its stars. It’s an evening of verbal zingers and literate comedy at the Laguna Playhouse.

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IF YOU GO

What: “Act 3...”

Where: Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays, 1 and 6 p.m. Sundays until Jan. 31

Cost: $61 to $66

Information: (949) 497-2787

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TOM TITUS reviews local theater.