'ALIEN' LACKS PUNCH

Nadine Goff For the State Journal

Most of my visits to Broom Street Theater have been educational experiences.

Contrary to popular myth, Broom Street productions are not all antic humor and madcap physical comedy -- they usually offer substance as well as style.

Many of the plays produced at Broom Street are based on extensive research. In the past several years, I've seen plays offering intriguing biographic portrayals of men and women such as Horst Wessel, inspiration for the Nazi anthem bearing his name; children's author Theodor (Dr. Suess) Geisel; abortionist Ruth Barnett; and singer Janis Joplin. The theater's latest offering, ''My Favorite Alien,'' written and directed by Doug Banasky, was inspired by the work of Dr. John Mack, a Harvard psychiatrist and author of the recently published, controversial book, ''Abduction: Human Encounters with Aliens.''

Banasky has done a lot of research on alien abduction, UFOs and the government cover-ups of such close encounters, which have allegedly been occurring since 1947. ''My Favorite Alien'' is chock-full of fact and theory.

Unfortunately, although the tale he has to tell is interesting, Banasky is not a very compelling storyteller. ''My Favorite Alien'' lacks a compelling plot or characters.

Set in 1999, the play follows the adventures of Daniel Salverson (Kevin M. Bosley), a physician who's been having strange nightmares. Salverson consults psychologist Sarah Goldman (Tracy Wieczorek), who uses hypnotism to help him remember his encounters with a race of aliens trying to save Earth from ecological disaster.

Daniel's brother is Keith (Jamie McCanless), an industrialist with a heavy financial stake in the continued use of chlorofluorocarbons, thought to be the primary culprits in the destruction of Earth's ozone layer.

The ingredients are there for all sorts of conflict, but Banasky is so busy feeding us facts he fails to take advantage of the situation. Everyone in the play -- human and alien -- capitulates too easily. What might have been provocative is, instead, merely ho-hum, more the creation of a pedant than an artist.

The relatively young, inexperienced cast shows promise, but a chilly theater and a pallid script resulted in some lackluster performances the night I saw the play.

''My Favorite Alien'' will be performed at 9 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 16 at Broom Street Theater, 1119 Williamson St. Tickets are $ 7 and are sold at the door only. Call 244-8338.