Three Stars with Half an Ambien

Once, on a long-ago and faraway planet, The Great Plotnik was a film reviewer. Several times a week he would get to lounge with all the other reviewers in plush screening rooms, on comfy seats, and watch endless variations of three themes: boy-gets-girl, girl-gets-ape, dog-dies-child-cries. Later another variation cropped up: machine-bad-human-good.

It became clear very early that because we saw so much last-week's broccoli, the only way a film could jump out at us was to be totally different, unique, outlandish. It didn't matter it if was a good film or a bad film, perfectly executed or with more fatal flaws than a banana Blimpie, if it was different, critics loved it. It stood out. That was enough.

Which brings me to 'The Overcoat,' currently running at A.C.T. Theater, which Mush loved, which Ducknik loved, which all the critics loved, except for one, and you can Guess Who. (Plotnik, in his new life on his new planet, now reviews theater.) 'The Overcoat' could be called ballet, or symphonic musings, or even wordless theater, and it is certainly unique. It stands out.

ZZZZZZZZZZZ, snored Plotnik. Well, no he didn't, because reviewers don't snore, they keep leaning forward, trying to figure out where this bird is going to land. It reminded Plotnik of being in Africa and following, with binoculars, a leopard that was staking out his antelope lunch. That leopard moved very slowly through the veldt - slowww - stalking - sloooowww - I see him - you see him -- ooooh he's beautiful -- what a gorgeous purple coat - isn't that a gorgeous purple coat? my, what a gorgeous purple coat -- oh look, what's he going to do now? - oh, just - more stalking -- sloooowww --

One thing Plotnik knew from the get-go was that, wherever branch of theater the show chose to land in, the critics would laud it, love it, want to marry it, want to have its babies. That is certainly what has happened. Proceed with caution, however, theater lovers. It's very good, but try as they might, The Great Plotnik Theater Department is unable to award 'The Overcoat' more than Three Stars with half an Ambien.