Tommy Smith's 'Demon Dreams' at West of Lenin

'Demon Dreams' at West of Lenin

Wise goddesses in Grecian robes school horned demons in Japanese garb about human evil and redemption in "Demon Dreams," an offbeat East-meets-West hybrid at West of Lenin.

Performed in a style akin to kyogen (Japan's classic comic theater), this broad fable written by former Seattleite Tommy Smith is basically a boisterous kid's morality play for grown-ups, under AJ Epstein's direction. The message is simplistic, but the hour running time is just long enough to fully appreciate the vivid Asian-accented design work, intensely committed cast and adroit sound score. Lighter than Smith's usual jaundiced takes on humankind, "Demon Dreams" doesn't reveal any astonishing secrets about how to manage your karma. It's just a quirky refresher course on being a decent person, punctuated by some good giggles — and who can argue with that? Through Nov. 10; 800-838-3006 or www.westoflenin.com.

Misha Berson, Seattle Times theater critic