In NYC, where identities are defined by neighborhood, your apartment is all you have. Unless, of course, you sublet; then you have nothing. This is the premise behind The Sublet Experiment, or so it would seem. Ethan Youngerman’s innovative new play, performed in a different New York apartment before just 12 viewers every time, gives audiences an intimate look into the life of Eric, a contemporary Goldilocks who sublets a new place each week in search of, well, himself. But when he puts an ad on Craigslist for some, er, company, he winds up finding himself where he least expected—in a relationship. Like YouTube did for TV, this show rethinks conventional theater using low-budge and resourceful devices (the soundtrack is courtesy of an iPod), yet it avoids becoming campy and sitcom-esque. As a result, you get the sense that the people involved in this project are your peers (only brighter), not some fat cat investor who experienced his own twentysomething angst back in the days when it was called a midlife crisis. Cleverly written and unaffectedly acted, The Sublet Experiment is modern and apropos, and manages to put a new spin on the tired, but ever-present, quest for identity. Plus, you can laugh, cry and check out real estate all at the same time.
Open-ended, Various locations, 212-352-3101; Thurs.-Fri. 8; Sat.-Sun. 7, $20.
