THE ORINDA STARLIGHT VILLAGE PLAYERS opened Louis Flynn’s madcap satire, “Madness on Madrona Drive,” at the Orinda Community Park amphitheater Friday. The play mocks a sector of suburban America that isn’t as familiar today as it would have been in the 1970s, the modern setting for Flynn’s 1958 play, so for younger audiences at least, some of the visual humor may miss its mark — but the colorful characters are timeless, and the Starlight cast conveys them well on this tiny outdoor stage in the park.

Maureen-Theresa Williams is Louise, the ego-centric housewife who thrives on gossip and scandal. Director Jill Gelster has chosen to emphasize the garish aspect of ’70s fashion, so Louise appears in obviously-dyed long, layered red hair and wearing a bright, patterned jumpsuit-like ensemble, and her home is decorated with over-sized and mixed-color accessories. Williams brings plenty of spunk and attitude to the role, an excellent would-be diva personality from which the other characters can easily develop.

Susan England is also delightful as housemaid Millie, who is introduced with a cigarette hanging off her lip, fuzzy slippers on her feet and a noisy vacuum cleaner in tow. The first major clue to Millie’s personality, though, is revealed in the opening scene through her side of a telephone conversation with a swimming pool company. It seems that in the process of coming home from some shenanigans the night before, Millie’s motorcycle ended up in the bottom of the pool. Like Williams’ Louise, England’s Millie also has plenty of spunk, though with a more pronounced sarcastic bent than that of her employer.

Virginia Blanco plays Louise’s daughter Mary. Blanco’s character was harder for me to capture in Friday night’s performance, in part because of the actor’s poor vocal projection and pronunciation. Blanco seemed confident on the stage but in this case under-rehearsed. Like her mother, Mary appears in exaggerated ’70s fashion and behaves with an obvious sense of entitlement and self-centeredness.

As Mary, a bride-to-be, chats with the wedding organizer (Betsy White as Helen) in the backyard, Millie and Louise discuss their intriguing new neighbor, a mobster Louise hopes will somehow bring vicarious thrills to her tedious domestic life. Little does she know, the “planner” in her backyard is actually there to use Louise’s home as a base of operations while she and her two cohorts execute a plan to set off a bomb in their rival’s home next door.

White is smart in the role as Helen, the brains of the bombing operation, and Ryan Terry and Ken Sollazzo are plenty laughable as her hapless lackeys, Mack and Mr. Travers.

The action is fast-paced, as are the one-liners, and all is delivered seamlessly in this oddball send-up of wealthy, middle-aged suburban housewives. The hare-brained schemes — those of the gangsters as well as the hostages who try to foil their plans — simply cancel each other out as just about every move everyone makes is stymied by their own ineptitude.

The comedic style in “Madrona” is somewhat tired. The scenario is absurdly unlikely, yet the play isn’t quite slapstick in nature. At best, it is a three-dimensional slice of the awkward 1970s, sure to bring back memories for those old enough to remember it. A spirited cast lends the work some bright humor, and the zany antics generate plenty of laughs.

Enjoy the wacky “Madness” under the stars in this forested nook nestled inside Orinda Community Park. Seat cushions and blankets are provided, and a snack bar is available before the show and during intermission.

Next up on the Starlight stage: the troupe’s final offering of the 2015 season, Malcolm Cowler’s stage adaptation of “Pinocchio,” based on the original story by Carlo Collodi. “Pinocchio” opens Saturday, Sept. 12 and continues through Oct. 3.

If You Go
“Madness on Madrona Drive” continues through Aug. 15 at the Orinda Community Center Park, 28 Orinda Way. Tickets for all Orinda Starlight productions are $16, $8 for seniors, and are available by calling 925-528-9225 or online at www.orsvp.org.

Elizabeth Warnimont is a freelance writer specializing in the performing arts. She holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from UC-Santa Barbara.