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It's hard to make Nicky Silver's mean-spirited comedy about five neurotic New Yorkers palatable, much less entertaining. But A Reasonable Facsimile Theatre Company director Richard Hesler and his able ensemble find the right mix of humor and drama to give these selfish characters some heart and make their complicated love problems somewhat sympathetic. At every turn Hesler and company fight against Silver's tendency to people his plays with stereotypes--the tin-eared trust-fund poet, the prissy gay male model, the food-obsessed fat man--then mock them for their shallowness. Michael Buino does a particularly fine job finding a third dimension for Otto, a character who's little more than the butt of a series of jabs at fat people. Through 12/11: Thu-Fri 8 PM, Sun 5 PM. Cornservatory, 4210 N. Lincoln, 773-282-9728. $13-$15.
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