Somewhere on the other side of the looking glass, there's a sardonic comedy called "Brutality of Fact" that dazzles its audience with lively scenes and sharp, concise dialogue.

But those attending the version that opened at Heller Theater last week will have to settle for the uneven and occasionally frustrating flip-side rendition that exists in this world.

That isn't to say that the production isn't worth your time. The performers are endearing, the sporadic laughs are genuine if mostly too easy, and on those occasions when the playwright gives the cast and director something to do, they seize the moment and move things along.

Writer Keith Reddin's play is a talky and episodic tale of a dysfunctional family that's been whittled down by death and distance to a trio of unhappy women.

Mother Val (Liz Masters) is an acerbic widow who's moved into her daughter Jackie's apartment. Jackie (Jen Sternberg), a divorcee embroiled in a bitter custody fight, has become a religious fanatic who goes door to door accosting strangers with her beliefs. Another daughter, Maggie (Tara Treiber), has recently re-entered their lives after spending years in an alcoholic haze.

So far, so good. But rather than spin that premise off into a story, we're given a series of tenuously connected scenes that drive home the same character points over and over again, often through the device of long rambling monologues. Some of the scenes are in the form of dreams, others are traditionally constructed encounters between characters -- but there's maddeningly little that actually happens onstage.

People are discovered in bed together, a spouse becomes emotionally abu sive, lives are ruined by courtroom testimony . . . but those dynamic moments are available only in the looking-glass world. In the Heller production, we just hear about them after the fact.

Working with a cast that includes some fairly inexperienced people among their number, director Julie Tattershall has put together a show that's far more engaging than the material deserves.

Masters, who joined the company as a last-minute replacement, is the most experienced performer, and it shows. She's the only cast member who avoids indicating her character's thoughts through over-the-top facial contortions, and one of the few who knows the value of playing against the stated intention. Her Val is a funny, sympathetic and occasionally pathetic Bea Arthurish creation who effortlessly commands the stage with every entrance.

Treiber turns in a solid job as Maggie, bringing a charismatic presence and a genuine sweetness to a character who's written as a bundle of neuroses and insecurities. She's convincing as a woman who's tried to escape her out-of- whack family by transforming herself into a tough character, only to find that she doen't like the person she's become and has no clue what to try next.

Sternberg has a tougher job. Jackie is not only the Jehovah's Witness from hell, she's also a chronic liar and a bitter self-deceiving hypocrite. Some of the funniest moments in the script are its sophomoric jabs at religion, but as written, Jackie is more a victim of that humor than a participant. The actress doesn't help herself in these moments, falling back on making faces and striking attitudes.

Among the supporting cast, Dody Sullivan scores nicely as Maggie's fellow alcoholic Corinne, and Tim Fields provides a believable turn as Harold, Jackie's ex-husband.

Though Owen Froeschle seems too young to be Jackie's frighteningly earnest boyfriend Chris, he brings a solid presence to an essentially one-note character. Cathy Ross is stuck with a series of thankless roles, the most effective being her performance as Maggie's uptight supervisor.

Though it would be a lot more enlightening to see them in the play that happens offstage, the cast makes "Brutality of Fact" a palatable evening in the theater. It continues at Heller Theater Thursday-Saturday. Call 746-5065 for reservations.