LAST CHANCE

Blackout. This taut Swimming Bird Productions mounting of Gary Lennon’s 1991 12-step theatre verite is a fascinating, albeit idiosyncratic, dramatic exercise. “Blackout” happens in real time, noted by the clock adorning production designer John DeMeo’s superb Times Square basement setting. Lennon’s keen humor and insights on the society of sobriety energize the current edition. So does the nervy edge that director Bobby Moresco achieves from rotating celebrity casting, slotting guest artists into the 12-character cast. “Blackout” ultimately works because its players work it in stunning fashion.

Ends Sunday at the McCadden Place Theatre, 1157 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood. (323) 960-4441 or (323) 281-1619.