Almost an Evening

Description
The title of Ethan Coen’s theatrical debut sounds preemptively apologetic, but it turns out to be a case of overstatement: This wan trio of absurdist shorts barely amounts to half a show. Neil Pepe stages the action as cleanly as possible, with help from an overqualified ensemble cast that includes F. Murray Abraham and Elizabeth Marvel. The three playlets tweak existential drama, spy thrillers and avant-garde pretensions, but none of these glib pieces really satisfies; weighty moral and metaphysical questions are raised, only to be skirted and winked at.—David Cote