Sitcom Send-Up

You don't have to be a coder or anything tech-related in San Francisco's booming economy to realize that office culture can fall into a few traps. Your job may be demoralizing, mind-numbing, or overly demanding and your work week grueling. By the time Friday rolls around, you're probably just one of many people at their desk staring catatonically at a screen, eyes glazed over, counting down the minutes until the weekend. You could probably use some laughs.

Laughter, after all, is the best medicine, and if you were at the opening weekend for "The Facts of Life Live" at Oasis, there was plenty to laugh about. D'Arcy Drollinger and the cast of drag queens are at it again with another parody production of TV shows past. They've done "Sex and The City" and "Roseanne," but this time they delve a little deeper into the trove for more of a quasi-feminist sitcom, going back to the early 1980s.

The long-running hit, with its all-female cast, could be considered a cult classic all these years later, although at the time it was totally mainstream. After all, it did air on the NBC network.

Drollinger, who plays Blair Warner, the snob we all love to hate, but really wanna be, wrote in an email why the humor in the cabaret-style production works best.

"You can't ignore the fact that much of the humor comes from grown men playing angst-ridden teenage girls."

A trio of ladies seated up front opt for the $200 VIP Edna's Champagne Table service at the 7 p.m. Friday night show. A good-sized audience filters in promptly to take their seats. If you don't want to sip from flute stemware, you have other options. The cocktail list keeps in character with drinks like: Jo Bronx, Nat's Pajamas, Tootie Roll, Blair Warmer, and of course Mrs. G's Purse.

Lights flash on the curtains and the campy theme song is our cue to clap and prepare to be entertained. ("If you hear 'em from your brother, better clear 'em with your mother. The facts of life...")

The first episode begins to unfold on stage before our eyes. Titled "Double Standard," this episode sees Blair actually become jealous of her tomboyish nemesis and roommate, Jo Polniaczek, played by Daft-nee Gesuntheit. Blair's childhood playmate, Harrison, moves to Peekskill (upstate New York). But instead of their bloodlines merging like she's always dreamed, he sees something rebellious in Jo's motorcycle ways and asks her to the cotillion instead. Gasps ensue.

We get plenty of snarky retorts (just like the show) but they add their own flavor with comical asides, plays on words and to some degree, even a little ad-libbing.

"Most of the asides and new parts were either written or came out of the rehearsal process," says Drollinger. "Though in performing at the Oasis (co-owned with Heklina) which is a hybrid, bar, theater, cabaret, it harkens back to the old vaudeville stages where the audience was a vital part of the performance. So a certain amount of ad-libs and playing with the audience is a natural and integral part of the shows."

Later, I check on YouTube to see if they were really doing the scripts verbatim, and for the most part they were. Mrs. Edna Garrett, the fiery red-headed matriarchal den mother, (played by Peggy L'eggs, with the help of a prominent prosthetic nose) really does say there will be no "burning rubbers" on Eastland. But on phrases like "come again" and "beat off," I can tell that the stage actors linger for affect.

By now, I think the room realizes that Tamale Ringwald as Natalie Green is a spot-on and uncanny likeness, which in itself is laughable. Her bestie, Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey is played by James Arthur M., who can't stop hamming it up to the audience, by delivering ridiculous amounts of obnoxious adorability with one-liners, and jabs (often directed at Blair). The crowd seems to love it.

What would an episode be without Mrs. Garrett belting out "Girls, girls, girls!" nearly a catchphrase for her? She delivers.

Meanwhile, Blair tells Jo she's out of her league and that she'll humiliate herself by putting "ketchup on her quiche." Jo changes her mind and decides to go to the cotillion after all. Someone in the audience actually says, "Good!" in a heartfelt tone.

In the end, Harrison's true intentions are made clear. He's a creep who just wants to get laid, makes assumptions about 'what kind of girl' Jo is, and takes her out back to the putting green instead of the dance, and messes up her dress.

"Although a comedy, it wasn't until going back and looking at the seasons that I realized how many 'hard-hitting' topics they tackle," Drollinger said. "Each one like those '70s After-School Specials. Facts of Life has dealt with teen pregnancy, rape, drugs, drunk driving, prostitution, shoplifting...just to name a few."

The unlikely pair of Blair and Jo form a bond over boy trouble, which in this case is coded for rape culture, since it's never made explicit what exactly happened. This cements the show's feminist element, which the live show punctuates, satirizes and expands upon. They push the envelope in the very last off-the-script closing scene where Blair and Jo would have innocently turned to one another for a hug or a handshake, but of course this is Oasis, so, naturally, dyking out is implied.

The mistakes, goofs and general low-budget quality add to the show's humor and charm. At one point L'eggs as Garrett accidently calls Jo, Blair. The crowd goes nuts, won't let her live it down and the actors really seem to feed off that energy, milking it for more laughs.

Interludes of classic commercials including Oscar Meyer hot dogs, Dr. Pepper and Hot Pockets play over the house speakers while the set is changed for a new scene or episode. For this short run, Drollinger says it's the same two episodes that the cast will perform for all eleven shows.

"So many people kept asking specifically for The Facts of Life. So far it has been going over really well. So perhaps more episodes will be on their way in the future."

The next episode in actuality is titled, "Pretty Babies."

This time, to paraphrase the Internet Movie Database: 'Tootie gets lured into a photo shoot with a child pornographer.'

Again...whoa. What's with all the strong sexual content and innuendo from all those early '80s sitcoms?

"I think what resonates with Facts of Life is the same camaraderie that we see in the Golden Girls, Sex and The City and Designing Women," said Drollinger. "You've got the strong archetypes and the same conflicts, heartaches and humor, but just around different topics."

Fear not, Tootie; Mrs. Garrett has your back and her maternal instinct kicks in to protect you from the sleaze photographer who wanted to put your still-developing body (she was feeling self-conscious in this episode) on a diet!

The cast concludes the production to a hearty round of applause. They finish the night by posing for photos on the stage set with members of the audience.

"What we're creating with these TV parodies is more than a just drag show. We're sending up iconic programs and characters people love," Drollinger said. "Adding the drag blows it up in a way that is both parody and homage, with just enough of sass that make it something unique."

"The Facts of Life Live" at Oasis. $25-$30 ($200 VIP group rates). 7pm. Thu-Sat thru May 16. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 795-3180. www.sfoasis.com