Nobody's Lunch @ Zero Arrow

Bostonist had the pleasure of attending a performance of (I Am) Nobody's Lunch at the A.R.T's Zero Arrow theatre last night. We weren't entirely certain of what to expect, as the show's subtitle ("a cabaret about how we know what we know when nobody knows if everyone else is lying and when someone or something wants to have you for lunch") is a bit opaque. We were a little bit afraid that we'd be seeing shades of Liza Minelli. Mercifully, nothing could have been further from the truth.

Nope - there were no Weimar-era swan songs here. Instead, we were treated to a series of vignettes culled from "documentary theatre" interviews conducted while the piece was being written. The material revolved around post-9/11 American paranoia as well as questions about the nature of truth and trust. This is the sort of concept that, on paper, evokes all of Bostonist's worst college-theatre memories. Needless to say, we were truly delighted to discover that the material was handled with a light touch and a fantastic sense of humor.

Musical theatre has never really been Bostonist's thing, but the Civilians combine excellent lyrics with remarkably non-annoying musical numbers that flowed naturally in and out of the performance. We particularly enjoyed a solo number early in the evening called "Someone to Keep Me Warm" which subtly equated patriotism with an abusive relationship. (It worked, honest!)

Nobody's Lunch asks difficult questions, and exposes uncomfortable truths; but it does so with such humor and lightness that we almost forgot that it was making us think while it was making us laugh.

(I am) Nobody's Lunch runs April 25-30 at Zero Arrow Theatre. Tickets are $30