In times as depressing and sometimes frightening as ours now, it is probably a good idea to have silly entertainments to help ease the burden. "The Nerd" is just such entertainment.

The play is directed by Richard Robert Bunker, who also directed Larry Shue's more popular comedy "The Foreigner" for Altarena audiences.

The plot is simple. A young architect, Willum Cubbert (Misha Madison), has been chosen to design and work on a hotel in a distant city. This will mean leaving his home, his friends, and the attractive girl he loves, Tansy McGinnis (Jillian Seagrave).

Just before his birthday party, Willum gets a phone call from Rick Steadman (Timothy Beagley), a man who Willum tells us saved his life when he was a soldier in Vietnam. Rick has heard that Willum is having a party. He wants to come over.

Willum is delighted.

Steadman arrives with a suitcase emblazoned with a bright yellow, happy face. He intends to spend the night and, it eventually becomes clear, never intends to leave — ever.

It soon becomes apparent that Steadman is a socially inept, hopelessly stupid "nerd." He manages to insult Willum's boss, Warnock Waldgrave (Matt Beall), the boss' wife Clelia (Judy Beal), and frighten their young badly behaved son Thor (Noah Han).

As Steadman, Beagley is reminiscent of funny man Jerry Lewis. He loves to take over everything. He invents new party games that make everyone want to leave. Willum, his girlfriend,

There are several particularly amusing scenes in "The Nerd." When Rick Steadman first enters he is dressed like a green monster. Clelia has a most unusual way to overcome nervousness. The little boy, Thor, firmly negotiates for a large sum of money to come out of the bathroom. Waldgrave's fury is only barely contained when he is almost covered in cottage cheese. Axel, Tansy and Willum dance wildly around the apartment's living room floor.

Well, you get the idea. This is a crazy kind of play — the kind you rarely find anywhere any more.