The characters in Dano Maddens story of male bonding are like the Odd Triple: one is type A, one is type B, and the other is just obnoxious. Together, Oby, Darin, and Nellie form a motley crew of hiking buddies whose youthful traditions have been slowly eroded by jobs, wives, and children. The play alternates between the present and a time eight years earlier when they gave a presentation to a group of Girl Scoutswhose troupe leader Oby is hoping to woo. These moments from the past are charming, and far more interesting than the present. Now married and with a daughter, Darin is struck by tragedy, and he spends the rest of the play consumed by grief. Oby presents himself as a shoulder to cry on, while Nellie finds himself incapable of helping. But the tragedy doesnt inspire them to do anything other than grieve and try to stop grieving and get upset about how Darin wont stop grieving. The actors (Sam Read, Scott Lendzion, and Chris Bange) embody their roles perfectly, and shouldnt be blamed for the fact that In the Sawtooths refuses to move forward for nearly an hour and a half. BRENT ARONOWITZ 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat. (except Sept. 12). Ends Sept. 20.
Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Starts: Sept. 4. Continues through Sept. 20, 2008
