Maybe It’s Just Me, but Steve Martin’s “Meteor Sky” Is Unfunny as Can Be

In a landmark psychology experiment known as the Asch Line Study, a test subject sits in a room with 11 other people he believes are fellow test subjects in a vision test — but in fact he alone is the subject of a behavior experiment. The tester goes through a series of 18 multiple-choice questions, each featuring a line segment (call it X) next to three other line segments labeled A, B, and C, whereas (say) C is the same length as X, while A and B are obviously different lengths. After the two questions where the 11 actors give the correct answer, the actors unanimously give wrong answers for 11 of the next 15 questions. 

The purpose is to look at how common it is for people to conform to group opinion even when they have clear, direct evidence that the group opinion is wrong — and the findings suggest that about 75% of people will do so at least some of the time.

During Little Fish Theatre’s production of Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower (yes, the Steve Martin) I felt like one of those test subjects, as the audience barked out laughs at joke after joke, while I found none — literally, not one — even slightly amusing. 

Corky & Norm (Dana DeRuyck and Jonathan Fisher) are having Laura & Gerald (Analeis Anderson and Ryan Knight) over to their Ojai home to take in a meteor shower. At least that’s how it seems at first. What unfolds onstage are multiple versions of the evening, none of which may actually happen, since in the end Laura & Gerald may be nothing more than Corky & Gerald’s subconscious projections. Or something like that.

It’s obvious from listening to him talk that Steve Martin is a witty fellow and a swell egg, and his comedy chops, while tending toward slapstick, are undoubtedly first-rate. But his screenplays are hit-and-miss even when they aim low. The one occasion I know of where he tried to raise the bar was Shopgirl, which is shockingly mediocre and dull as both a novel and a film. Then a few years ago I reviewed Musical Theatre West’s production of his Bright Star and found it shot through with the same mediocrity.

But Meteor Shower is worse. Seemingly taking refuge in absurdism so as to avoid constructing either a coherent plot or a single intelligent joke, Martin simply has his ill-constructed characters fire off non-sequitur after non-sequitur, one-liner after flat one-liner. “Our kids are grown up and out of the house now.” “How old are they?” “Nine and 7.” Ha ha. 

As for the Little Fish cast, well, they can’t be faulted for lack of trying, mugging for the audience because mugging is about the only thing you can do with material this trite. I know from experience that this seems to work on theatregoers in general, who often seem to have an inscrutable predisposition to like what’s presented onstage no matter what. Although it confounds me, I guess I’m kinda glad they’re so easily pleased, because I know that most every theatre company — and Little Fish is certainly no exception — are doing their damnedest every time out to entertain, engage, etc. In fact, it absolutely pains me to write a negative review. But I cannot tell a lie: there is absolutely nothing anybody on the planet could have done to salvage Meteor Shower for me. 

But let me reiterate that the majority of the audience was yukking it up. And considering that Meteor Shower played on Broadway and Steve Martin is widely regarded as a comedic god, I’ve no doubt my opinion may be in the minority. So however much it felt to me like I was in a room of people averring that a ruler is the same length as a yardstick, perhaps you measure humor like they do. 

Meteor Shower at Little Fish Theatre
Times: Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m. + Sun. 2 p.m.
The show runs through November 26.
Cost: $20-$30
Details: (310) 512-6030, LITTLEFISHTHEATRE.ORG
Venue: 777 Centre St., San Pedro