Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Tom again for another of her weekly reviews of Baltimore's regional stage. Today, she tells us about the world premiere of Really Quite a Lot of Mechanisms, a darkly comedic puppet show presented by the renowned Baltimore puppet theatre and filmmaking company, Alex and Olmsted, and now on stage at the Theatre Project.
Mechanisms is set in a near-future world where nations are at war and life feels increasingly illogical.
The play centers on an unseen "boiler room" at the Earth's core, where semi-competent technicians struggle with productivity quotas while operating the complex machinery that drives events on the surface world.
Using simple machines like levers, pulleys, and inclines, the show explores a range of existential questions, from accepting a world of suffering to engaging our collective power to help others.
The show unfolds mainly through visual storytelling and sound, featuring expressive puppetry and intricate mechanical set pieces. It recently won a 2026 Jim Henson Foundation grant, the fourth such award for Alex and Olmsted.
The play is recommended by the Maryland Theatre Guide for audiences ages seven and older.
Really Quite a Lot of Mechansims continues through this Sunday, March 29, at the Theatre Project, located at 45 W. Preston St., Baltimore, MD 2120. For showtimes and ticket info, click here.
