A Fertle Holiday It's hard to believe, but this wild-and-wacky Houston holiday treat, written by comedy genius Steve Farrell and performed to perfection by Radio Music Theatre's trio of zanies (Steve Farrell, Vicki Farrell and Rich Mills, who portray all the characters), is celebrating its 23rd anniversary. To say it's fresher than any fruitcake would be colossal understatement. Holiday is the first installment in Farrell's 15-play series on this most American of dysfunctional families and their equally dysfunctional friends and neighbors in Dumpster, Texas. The Fertle loons, led by bickering dad Ned and mom Mildred, gather to celebrate Christmas, and you've never seen a more neurotic set of mismatched tree ornaments: Menopausal daughter Justicena, her pinched, hen-pecked husband Pete and their hellion spawn Damien drive from Bangor, Maine, purloining towels, soap and the Gideon Bible from Motel 6 to give as presents; daughter Carol, now rich, flies in by charter plane, causing no end of resentment to loser brother Lou, who's stuck in Dumpster but too incompetent to figure out how to leave. Then there's brother Earl, the "slow" but sweet Fertle, still living at home, who stands in for the TV antenna when not sleeping by the cold stove; downer Uncle Al, mourning his wife and planning her funeral for Christmas day; and Doc Moore, whose showstopping gibberish diagnoses food poisoning, although no one can understandhim. The silliness is inspired and the comedy nonstop. Thisperfect Christmas show, as the song says, will have you"laughing all the way." Through January 19. 2623 Colquitt, 713-522-7722. — DLG