If you don’t know the precise number of children dodecatuplets implies either, don't worry; I checked. Brace yourself for whatever reflexive reaction you have to the thought of intense pain and ponder this: twelve. Twelve children born simultaneously. Google claims that dodecatuplets have been born in Prague and Santa Fe - and now a set is born of Peter Sinn Nachtrieb's slightly twisted yet oh-so-clever brain and A.C.T.'s MFA class of 2011.
With the most performed play of the U.S. last year under his belt, local playwright Nachtrieb was commissioned by A.C.T. to build a script to suit the talents and personalities of its graduating MFA class. Litter's dodecatuplets are the product of a grasping conglomerate's morally deficient experiment, and the siblings were plopped straight into the limelight, a la Truman. (A crew of singing and dancing child stars will certainly bloat the bottom line.) Now in their 20s, the former pop sensation finds itself a tacky has-been and starts to crumble - until they confront what being a modern, corporate-sponsored family means. Bizarre and compelling, the world premiere of Litter is Nachtrieb's dark brand of comedy with a pop twist.
Through March 19. Zeum Theater, Yerba Buena Gardens, 4th and Howard Streets. Tickets are $10-15 at 415-749-2228 or act-sf.org.