What's missing in Somers' version are Ibsen's social circumstances, the ones that drive the trapped, idealistic, scandal-averse Hedda to suicide. Little matter, since the core of the play — the ravishingly beautiful, bored, flirtatious and casually destructive character of Hedda — is perfectly embodied in actress Christa Kimlicko Jones. She is aided by Lee Eddy as her cross-gender, Sandra Bernhard-like admirer, Greg Gondek as her slapstick dweeb of a husband and Gary Peters as a seal-fur smooth Judge Brack.

Somers does the improbable: She makes a somber, dignified classic stupendously fun.