Boom @ CPT 11/29 Crash: Its great that for the holidays, CPT has chosen several new pieces instead of the same old warmed-over leftovers. But Peter Sinn Nachtriebs talky post-apocalyptic dark comedy seems more like an idea in search of a play; at Fridays preview the actors could barely eke out a single audience laugh. Its a promising premise: anticipating a planetary disaster, an off-center marine biologist (Doug Snyder) lures a nihilistic college student (Laurel Johnson) via personal ad to his basement lab to become a reluctant Eve to his Adam. Eventually we realize we are watching a movie about our origins run by screwball museum docent Barbara (Kelly Elliott). But director Beth Woods over-the-top production emphasizes mugging and eye-rolling over character development, so we rarely connect with their plight.
Production hero: The set by Robert Maschke Architects is spot-on. Its pristine white lab bedroom contrasts perfectly with Barbaras gadget-filled control booth, replete with so many levers, pull-chains, pop-lights, and tympani, its the best running joke of the show. Details: Thru 12/20 @ CPT: http://www.cptonline.org.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein lindaATcoolcleveland.com
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