La pipa de la paz (The Peace Pipe) by Alicia Muñoz is a hilarious character study. This portrait of an aging woman incapable of being happy, a woman who makes everyone around her miserable, is a funny take on someone most of us have known -- or even had in our family.

In real life, women and men like that can raise everyone's level of frustration to the point of explosion. Thanks to the new production at Teatro 8, you can laugh out loud without causing any harm or offense to someone you know.

A widowed mother, feeling lonesome and purposeless, prods her son Dani to visit her by telling him that she is ill. It is a lie, one designed to produce a heavy dose of guilt. You know the drill: ``I may not be alive if you don't come soon, etc., etc.''

Dani, a diplomat who lives in New York and travels to the world's trouble spots, rushes to his mom's home in Miami. No matter how hard he tries to get her to explain what is wrong with her, she puts off any serious conversation, and Dani soon realizes he's been duped.

Neither of his sisters is on speaking terms with their mom, who blames them for wanting to send her to a nursing home, sell the house and divide the proceeds among themselves. In the meantime, the mother keeps invoking the dead father, whose ashes are kept in an urn placed on a makeshift altar. Good ol' Mom is also confrontational with her neighbors. In each and every case, the mother accuses the others of not being nice to her. Translation: They refuse to do exactly as she asks.

Dani, who brought a peace pipe from his travels in remote areas of the Amazon, plans to adapt his diplomatic skills to this domestic turmoil, turning everyone into one big happy family. Needless to say, Dani is one cockeyed optimist.

La pipa is the second work by the Argentine playwright Muñoz that Hispanic Theater Guild has presented in consecutive seasons. Marcos Casanova, the company's artistic director, has moved the setting from Buenos Aires to Miami, which doesn't change the confrontations between mother and son. Allusions to recent news also have been inserted into the dialog, contributing to the timeliness of the piece.

Casanova exercises a deft hand in moving the two actors within the confined but elegant space of the mother's large home (he also designed the set). His biggest triumph in this play, though, is the casting.

Marta Velasco, who performs in both English and Spanish and is a veteran of many South Florida stages, gives a magnificent portrayal of the cranky mother. Her conversation (in broken Spanglish) with Dani's jealous wife in New York will make you laugh til you cry. Ariel Texido plays her able opponent, easily moving from gullible peacemaker to ruthless negotiator.

Each actor matches the other in talent and comedic timing. Their work turns a sometimes-repetitive play into a smashing comedy. It is rare to find two actors who so ably complement each other. Kudos to all involved.

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