Casey Smith’s solo mime show (he does scream a lot, but there are almost no decipherable words) consists of 17 brief sketches accompanied by a swath of musical selections in which the silver-haired actor reveals a meticulously crafted and demented insanity. Each character, from a decathlon athlete to a female stripper, is an unwaveringly merciless portrait of self-destruction, which is the evening’s theme. It’s unabashedly puerile, scatological, nihilistic and as funny as hell. Son of Semele Theater, 3301 Beverly Blvd., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 11 p.m.; through December 19. ­circlextheatre.org.

Fridays, Saturdays, 11 p.m.; Fridays, Saturdays, 11 p.m.; Jan. 22-23, 10 p.m. Starts: Nov. 20. Continues through Jan. 16, 2009

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