Dating is rough.
“Other Life Forms,” which premiered at the Keegan Theatre this week, opens with this reminder. The audience is witness to two very different internet dates: Ben and Molly in one restaurant, and Jeff and Leslie in another. … As one date settles into comfortable conversation and the other spirals wildly out of control, the audience is taken for a recognizable ride; we can all relate to Ben and Molly’s pain as the date gets increasingly worse, and, while we feel for them, it’s impossible not to laugh at their familiar discomfort.
From this promising opening, “Other Life Forms” manages to take a funny and relatable premise and become even more entertaining as it picks up steam. … John Loughney’s earnest Jeff is the perfect guide for the audience through the increasingly absurd evening, and Josh Sticklin’s Ben is a delightfully volatile character whose facial expressions alone could carry a scene. The two make an entertaining and refreshing odd-couple pairing as roommates, and anchor the absurdities of the show in a way that keeps it relatable.
Still, as funny as the show is (and, to be clear, it’s very funny), “Other Life Forms” is also deeply philosophical. It explores what makes us uniquely human – love, friendship, and our own quest for answers about our lives and the universe.
“Other Life Forms” is an insightful, comedic look into our own humanity. Sometimes, tackling a topic this profound can be difficult or sobering. Thankfully, “Other Life Forms” instead grins and asks, “Who decided life has to suck?”
