Thoughtful Stories of Emerging Adulthood

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Photo Credit: John Steppe

Big questions on the nature of human connection sparkle through a seemingly random sampling of human stories in The Theory of Relativity (A Musical). Neil Bartram and Brian Hill’s contemporary show is briskly brought to the stage at Marquette University this month. Debra Krajec directs a large ensemble of actors playing people in largely isolated moments of reflection that all connect together at odd angles. More than a dozen different stories of emerging adulthood thoughtfully stumble and cascade across the stage as aided by accompanist Ruben Piirainen in elegantly simple notes. The stage is empty save for ever-present chairs and doors that gradually sneak into the background during the course of the show.

In and amidst the rush of stories, there are some very memorable moments. “Apples and Oranges,” features a particularly charming Eric Rorholm and Carlos Alba in a song about preferences for different... fruit. Vivian Romano and Liz De Vere Hunt render a strikingly concise tale of the long-term evolution of a friendship in “The End of the Line.” Tino Dentino strikes a particularly classy and stylish assertiveness with a story of emotional survival in “Me and Ricky.”

The many songs and stories shuffle across the stage with a quick rhythm that doesn’t allow for a whole lot of breathing room between narratives. There’s a kind of fatigue that settles-in around the edges of the performance at times, but there’s just enough of a causal cartilage of chance and circumstance to hold it all together from beginning to end. Katie Dickey brings quite a lot of the threads together as character named Amy in a charmingly one-sided musical discussion with her manicurist near the end of the show.

Through Feb. 23 at the Evan P. and Marion Helfaer Theatre, 1304 W. Clybourn St.