Seat Filler: NYC Theater Guide for March 2012

Bad Kid
Cowritten and directed by Josh Matthews, David Crabb's freakishly funny one-man show is entertaining enough to convert people who hate solo shows. Candidly recounting his adolescence as a gay outcast who embraces goth culture in small-town Texas, Crabb proves himself a masterful raconteur, skillfully re-creating indelible characters like his annoyingly supportive mother, awkwardly struggling father, and a foulmouthed gal pal.
Axis Theatre, closed March 10.

Assistance
The Bachelorette’s Leslye Headland scores with her relatable comedy about young assistants working for an abusive boss whom the audience never sees. A Devil Wears Prada without Meryl Streep may not sound like much fun, but out director Trip Cullman ensures that we always feel the tyrant’s hot breath on the necks of a fine cast that includes Yank! cutie Bobby Steggert. It’s also worth noting that Headland used to work for Harvey Weinstein.
Playwrights Horizons, closed March 11.

I Heart Alice Heart I
Writer-director Amy Conroy and codeveloper Clare Barrett shine as aging lesbian couple Alice K. and Alice S., childhood friends who now cohabitate in Dublin. Cleverly told in a faux docu-theater style, this quietly touching two-hander explores a shared personal history that includes infidelity and cancer, but the actresses have a genuine chemistry that makes even the most mundane relationship issues feel extraordinary.
Irish Arts Center, closed March 17.