THEATER REVIEW : ‘The Head’ a Bright Lark at the Mojo

“The Head,” at the Mojo Ensemble, may go to the head of the late-night spoof class, at least until the next such show comes along.

A scientist’s unfortunate dip into an acid bath has left him alive only as a disembodied head (Tyre Patterson). But his ambulatory colleague and lover (Jack Goodman) takes care of him, and these two may make scientific history, as well as whoopie. But what if a jealous wife (Tracy Pulliam) makes trouble?

That’s the least of their worries when a marauding gang of thugs invades the lab. The leading thug (Carlo Felix) has a very personal grudge against one of the scientists. And that cord that powers the tank where the head is kept alive looks awfully fragile. . . .

Wm. S. Leavengood’s script has rowdy fun with the genre, and a more cerebral kind of fun with the notion of “mind over matter.” While it never moves beyond the level of an extended sketch, that’s about all that most theatergoers want at a late-night weekend time slot (“The Head” also plays Thursdays at 8 p.m., for those who can’t stay up that late).

This “Head” has gone through several incarnations, but we’re told that this one, recently staged by Larry Cox, is the most developed. The actors draw their vivid cartoons with no flinching. Pulliam sounds as if she could give screaming lessons on the side. And the designers help create the atmosphere of this low-budget lark.

* “The Head,” Mojo Ensemble, 1540 N. Cahuenga, Hollywood. Thursdays, 8 p.m.; Fridays-Saturdays, 10:45 p.m. Ends Aug. 29. $10-$12. (213) 960-1604.