SEATTLE -- Christopher Durang's Short Cuts, an evening of six one-acts by the famed comic playwright, is being presented at the Northwest Actors Studio in Seattle, Jan 9-31.

The evening opens with a monologue by a suburban matron who bumbles her way through a discourse on the meaning of theatre -- after accidentally losing her lecture notes. Parodies of Tennessee Williams and Sam Shepard include For Whom The Southern Belle Tolls, wherein sensitive Lawrence waits for his brother Tom to bring home a "feminine caller," and A Sty of The Eye, about a schizoid rage-oholic who has killed his wife. Naomi In The Living Room depicts a cross-dresser and his wife on a visit to his alternately friendly and insulting mother; The Book of Leviticus Show satirizes cable-TV Christian programming; and 1-900-DESPERATE features a woman whose romance talk-line partners include a lesbian, a sleazy man and a five-year old child.

The New York Times, in reviewing the original New York production of Short Cuts, referred to it as "funny and controlled even in the most savage moment . . . a production you can sink teeth and mind into, while also laughing like an idiot."

The cast of Short Cuts includes Carolyn Crabtree, Jonathan Bowlby, Kristina Bennett, Sylvester Kamara, Eric Snellman, Heather Brotherston, Bogdan Darev, Tina Ferrari, Jen Lund, Nanc McNamar and Mary Short.

The production is being directed by David Kline and Walter Baker. Performances are at Fri. and Sat. at 8 PM, and Sun. at 7 PM. Northwest Actors Studio is located at 1100 East Pike St. For tickets, priced at $8-$10, call (206) 324-6328.

-- By David-Edward Hughes