Genre: Musical
Written by: Brad Akin based on Untitled: A Bad Teen Novel by Tara Ariano, with music by Michael Mahler
Directed by: Brad Akin
Performed by: Laurel Felt, Lauren Ludwig, Diane Mair, Haley Powell, Martha Marion, Jeremy Jones, Arturo Mar, Meghan O'Malley, Nick Thomas, Ryan Harrison, Nicholas Leonard, Tempe Thomas.
Running time: 80 minutes
Web site: wonderelastic.com

Blame the success of Fringe transfers like Debbie Does Dallas for this painfully unfunny, sophomoric "musical" (can a show really be called a musical if it recycles the same three songs multiple times, one of which was blatantly stolen from Sondheim?) Based on Tara Ariano's appropriately named Untitled: A Bad Teen Novel, this bore is written, directed, produced and performed by a company of recent Northwestern graduates who seem to mistake camp for creativity. This show within a show concerns a quartet of teenagers who write, direct, produce and perform a musical about their traumatic eighth grade year. Death, dating, kidnapping and teacher-student rape (a major low-point) are all part of the equation. Ultimately the big "joke" is that these girls—like most people their age—have little talent: The script is ludicrous, the acting stiff, the singing off-key. But this alleged "humor" ends up feeling smug and condescending.—Raven Snook

• Where: The Players Theatre
• When: Fri, Aug 13 at 7 p.m.; Sun, Aug 15 at 4:05 p.m.; Sun, Aug 22 at 3:30 p.m.; Wed, Aug 25 at 7:45 p.m.; Sat, Aug 28 at noon