LOS ANGELES -- Whoever doubts that life follows art hasn't heard about playwright Michael R. Farkash and actress Christy Mullis.

They met on-line when Farkash was researching an idea about a man and a woman who meet in a chat room, romance each other over the cyberwaves, and eventually move in with each other.

At the time Farkash was based in Los Angeles and Mullis was in rural Indiana.

"You hear all the nightmare stories of stories of people meeting serial killers and stalkers on-line," said Mullis. "I certainly had no intention of meeting anyone who I spoke to on-line. However, meeting Michael changed my thinking about that."

As for Farkash, he never thought Mullis would pull up stakes to join him on the West Coast. "She had a substantial career in Indiana and I didn't think she would give that up. She surprised me, though, when she suggested that she be the one to move." Nevertheless, Farkash's new play Sensual Intelligence is "not just about the fractional percentage of those who successfully woo and win on the net, but is, rather, a cautionary tale about fantasies run amok," he said. "It's about lies and lust and misrepresentations."

In the dark comedy, a librarian, Tom Yarrow, embraces the seductive call of on-line role playing. He is thrust into a frenzy of romantic expression, outright deception and maniacal cybersex in his quest to find the perfect woman.

Sensual Intelligence is directed by Jay Arlen Jones and produced by Christy Mullis. In the cast are Alyssa Boyle, Gideon Brower, JoAnn Evans, Jill Goldberg, Bill Hill, Van Quattro, Victor Shaw and Christienne Wadsworth.

The play opens Feb. 27 and runs through Mar. 22 at the Glaxa Studios, 3707 Sunset Blvd., Silverlake. Performances are Fri. and Sat. at 7 PM and Sun. at 8 PM. For tickets, $12, call (818) 368- 0848.

-- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent