Though Henry David Thoreau observed, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation,” the desperate characters in Nicky Silver's dark comedy are never quiet about it. They shriek, rage and caterwaul, and a good, miserable time is had by all. Sebastian (director Alejandro Romero) has lost his mother (Betina Mustain) to a freak plumbing accident, his lover has died of AIDS, and now he's fallen in love with Dylan (Marco Dapper), a murderer on death row. When he decides to part company with his longtime therapist (Mustain again), she's plunged into an orgy of hysterical self-loathing and self-mutilation. Sebastian's twin sister, Bernadette (Krystal Kennedy), is married to a dentist (Anthony Trexler) who hates teeth and decides to abandon his profession to become a painter, but their plans are skewed when she discovers she's pregnant — and things swerve toward magic surrealism when her baby starts walking at 4 months. Director Romero gives the piece a stylishly over-the-top production, though we could do with a little less screaming. The actors inhabit their roles with skill and abandon, while Dapper and Mustain shine in their dual roles. The Renegade Theatre, 1514 N. Gardner St., Hlywd.; Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 6 p.m.; through Sept. 18. (323) 960-7792, plays411.com/raised.

Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 6 p.m. Starts: Aug. 20. Continues through Sept. 18, 2011

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