I love the creativity that is clearly evident, dare I say infectious, within each and every one of PlayGround’s shows. Last night’s offering, while dense and mathematical, was certainly no exception to that rule. The evening was a co-production of sorts between PlayGround and the nearby Mathematical Sciences Research Institute. Six short plays, and one excerpt, were presented over the course of 90 minutes. I’ll consider this my 9th show for the year.

Some pieces seemed longer than others, as might be natural when I don’t have a timer and am watching something. I especially enjoyed the farcical Rapunzel’s Etymology of Zero, written by Katie May, and the biting finale of Margins for Error, by Sang Kim. The last play took on an especially biting twist when one character whom I expected to be silent turned out to be the exact opposite.

The evening was more heady than I generally associate PlayGround being (they focus on wordplay and characters) but I don’t see that as a deterrent. Frankly I am impressed that they continue to maintain their high standard of production, using mostly AEA actors, at a high quality theatre space, etc, at a time when others are cutting back. They seem to be moving forward with their momentum, as there are several co productions coming up in the near future all around this area.