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 Mark Linn-Baker. 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
