Los Angeles' Coronet Theatre christens a new space - the 49 seat Studio - with the one-man show, The Versus of Ogden Nash, opening Nov. 17. Performances began Nov. 10 for a run through Dec. 31. Debra De Liso directs.

Written and performed by Peter Massey, Versus is a romantic comedy about the humorist and poet Nash. Although he wrote 20 volumes of verse as well as the lyrics to Kurt Weill's One Touch of Venus, Nash was convinced he would be remembered for nothing more than this well-known rhyme from his first volume of poetry, "Reflection on Ice Breaking": Candy/ is dandy/But liquor/is quicker.

A playwright, actor and administrator, Massey has performed in over 50 productions and directed 30 more. As artistic director, he led Florida's Riverfront Theatre for six seasons and served as managing director of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles for three.

Tickets are $25-$15. The Coronet Theatre Studio is located at 366 North La Cienega. For reservations, call (310) 657-7377. The Versus of Ogden Nash is on the web at http://www.unityinternational.com.

-- By Christine Ehren