Eleven Please

Kinetica Creative—The Rachel Browne Theatre

Five people trapped in a stalled office elevator is the perfect scenario to spin into multifaceted comedy. The production’s greatest strengths are its absurd escalation, comedic timing, and inventive sketches, which occasionally veer into unexpected ensemble musical numbers and surprise choreography.

The individual bits are well constructed and build on one another with confidence. Where the production stumbles is in trying to tie its sketches into a larger story. The framing narrative develops unevenly and arrives at some awkward compromises that feel more like necessity than a satisfying conclusion.

Fortunately, the individual sketches are strong enough that the uneven overarching plot never derails the fun. The piece is better sketch comedy than it is a play, and that’s perfectly okay when the jokes land so well.

Ashley Frantik