Hyper-Chondriac

If Brian Frazer's mostly humorous one-man show is truly autobiographical, he may be the wrong person to cut off on the freeway while you're driving to work. The script is based on his book "Hyper-Chondriac: One Man's Quest to Hurry Up and Calm Down," the title of which is Frazer's self-proclaimed disease. His nonstop angst and anger manifest as illnesses or the cause of various injuries. Though his delivery frequently is stiff and forced, it kind of fits the tale he weaves about a life of being stiff and forced. And when he mixes in bittersweet sections about his mother, the comedy is elevated by the contrast, combining for a laugh-filled and fascinating 75-minute performance.

Frazer starts in the middle and works his way back, beginning with his initial prescription for Zoloft, which for the first time gives him a sense of calm and peace. A trip back in time explains the origins of his unease, which includes his mother's multiple sclerosis and a brother who died in infancy. Going forward, Frazer chronicles a variety of non-mainstream efforts he hopes will keep him from maxing out the allowed dose of Zoloft—including Ayurvedic medicine and an ill-fated yoga lesson, which ends up costing several thousand dollars in medical bills.

Frazer's simple retelling of the facts is refreshing. A few overwritten jokes fall flat, but most of the time, the straightforward writing is funny in its honesty. Director Kiff Scholl uses the tiny stage effectively, segmenting the space for various aspects of the story. Adam Hunter's set is clever, consisting of oversize pills as backdrops, a giant pill bottle and a gauze roll for seats, and a bench that looks like a medicine chest. One of the funniest additions is a series of projected images of a figure Frazer calls "PowerPoint Man," which is increasingly filled with places on Frazer's body that have been damaged.

Scholl and Frazer keep the story moving, and they wisely know that less can be more when it comes to comedy. There's the obligatory moral-filled conclusion, but it's the heart of the story—and Frazer's heart—that makes this work a success.

Presented by Theatre Planners at the Asylum Lab, 1078 Lillian Way, L.A. Oct. 1-Nov. 6. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m. (323) 960-7785. www.plays411.com/hyperchondriac.