Yosemite *

(Please click on the title to read the full review.)
The set, by Raul Abrego, is a lovely scene of northern California woods in winter. Unfortunately, the set is the highlight of Daniel Talbott's new play at the Rattlestick Theater. The set is populated by two brothers and a sister who live nearby in a trailer. Jake (Seth Numrich), the eldest,  is digging a hole in which to bury their infant brother, whose death is vaguely blamed on their troubled mother. (If you are foolish enough to attend after reading this, don't sit in the front row or you may get covered by flying dirt.) The three siblings exchange inane chatter until their mother arrives with her shotgun. After a lively exchange, she leaves and you can guess the rest. It seemed to last for hours, but it was only 70 minutes. The younger sister and brother are played by Libby Woodbridge and Noah Galvin. The usually interesting Kathryn Erbe misfires as the mother. Numrich displays a prodigious talent for shoveling; why he left a good role in War Horse for this is a mystery. Director Raul Abrego is unsuccessful in hiding the vacuity of the proceedings.