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Starting with its title, Bess WohlsMake Believeimplies a promise of subtle magic that it never really delivers on.
It ends up thudding where it should tiptoe, stumbling where it should leap.
And theres the shows first snag.
Hiltons buoyant, Twizzlers-loving Addie, whos supposed to be 7, escapes this trap most often.
Its not Fousts fault: Hes young and enthusiastic.
But hes being asked to push rather than allowed to play.
Or thats what the showsmarketing copytells us.
But one ofMake Believes niggling disappointments is that theres really no such mystery to be had in the show.
Now its not really a story of wild, unanswerable questions, but of run-of-the-mill, easily traceable trauma.
Despite the persistent quirkiness of the plays tone, Wohl doesnt shy away from formulaic gestures.
Heberlee, though, deserves credit for committing entirely to that howl.
Theyre only monsters with masks on.
Make Believeis at Second Stage Theater through September 15.
