By Sarika Chawla

Regretrosexual

The Lounge Theatre
6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.
Through Jan. 27
Thursday-Friday 8 p.m.
Tickets: $18
(323) 969-4790
www.regretrosexual.com

How is a guy supposed to confess to his girlfriend that he's sort of ... gay? Not that he is gay. Anymore. He just lived as a gay man in a gay world for three years, before he realized he was straight. It's as convoluted as it sounds in Dan Rothberg's one-man show Regretrosexual, but in a short span of time, the actor/comedian pulls it all together in an incredibly compelling piece that illuminates several topics that deserve the spotlight.

Under the direction of Louie Liberti, Rothberg knows how to own a stage, so that it's hard to not pay attention when he's speaking (it doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes). On his way to celebrate his six-month anniversary with the girl of his dreams, he addresses the audience with his deepest concerns: how to come forward about his past. He takes several minutes to reveal his secret, so that the first few moments of the show are rather opaque and frenetic -- if anyone doesn't know ahead of time what the secret is, it won't be immediately obvious.

By withholding the information of the whole gay/not gay issue, however, Rothberg reveals several layers of his himself, which make him an increasingly attractive character. A former jock-turned-alcoholic-turned-feminist, it seems like he's come to terms with all the skeletons in his closet. When we do get around to learning about his years as a gay man, and how it all came about, a whole new set of problems becomes uncovered.

Rothberg peppers his monologue with clever ironies, witticisms,and most of all, penetrating observations about sexuality and labels. As someone who experienced both straight and gay culture from the inside, he's got a uniquely universal perspective. Why is it that society allows women to "experiment" and enjoy the sexual spectrum, but a man who goes gay once will always be considered gay? And where do you find a support group to come out as being straight? Rothberg possesses a great comedic edge, so that even heartbreaking issues, like coming out to his parents and then going back in, are hilarious. Rothberg delivers a powerful performance that brings up a lot of questions that he may not have the answers to, but it's a good thing that they're being asked.

The Break Up Notebook

Hudson Backstage Theatre
6529 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.
Through Jan. 15
Friday-Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 3 p.m.
Tickets: $28-$32
(323) 960-5563
www.plays411/breakup

It's a lesbian. In a musical. Folks, it's finally here -- the lesbian musical of musicals, starring dykes, femmes, and a good-hearted woman looking to find love, and finding herself along the way. Based on the play by Patricia Cotter, with music and lyrics by Lori Scarlett and David Manning, The Break Up Notebook: The Lesbian Musical follows the musical theater genre of a rather light plot, combined with rockin' tunes and some memorable characters. Sue Hamilton directs a rather large cast in a small space, and, paired with choreographer Gail Conrad, executes a pleasingly polished piece of girl rock crossed with traditional musical theater

Heidi Godt stars as Helen, a 33-year-old woman whose girlfriend of two-and-a-half years just broke up with her. She sobs her way through "Another Break-up Song," lamenting her loss and her bleak future of singledom. The humor really starts to emerge as we learn about her obsessive stalking of her ex in "Barnacle of Love."

A sort of Bridget Jones vibe comes forth when Helen turns to her wacky group of friends to get her through the trauma. Patrick Bristow is delightful as always as her best friend who happily offers his two cents from the perspective of a campy queen (though he suffers from delusions of having butch tendencies). Helen's couple friends Monica (Melody Butiu) and Joanie (Jacqueline Maloney) roll their eyes in exasperation and busily try to get her back in the dating scene. Butiu and Maloney are actually a stabilizing presence in the musical, as they work through the real problems of their long-term relationship which offsets some of the campiness.

But that doesn't mean the camp isn't fun: A dominatrix, an officious lawyer, and a cowgirl are the highlights in Helen's disastrous dating pool. A chance encounter with Casey, a rock 'n' roll butch dyke (Christine Lakin) is an immediate audience favorite -- Lakin's writhing dance moves and no-holds-barred rendition of "I'm on Fire" cement her stand-out performance.

Godt stands solidly throughout the show, performing much of the music with a confident voice. Her character remains somewhat on the bland side, but she remains likeable so that her incessant pining and awkward attempts at dating are funny, never grating. A full ensemble of equally solid performers rounds out the cast.