Genre:

Don't let the gimmicky title deter you: Nicky Goes Goth is a hysterical and offbeat romantic comedy with a lot more than just love on its mind. The setup: Nicky Hilton, Paris' less media crazed sister, questions the meaning of her existence and ends up falling for a disaffected goth boy from the suburbs. That "what if?" scenario allows playwright Elizabeth Meriwether to wax philosophical about class conflict, adolescent alienation, the tenuous bond between gay men and the women they idolize, the power of beauty and celebrity, war in Africa, and the magic of Disney animated cartoons. Billy Eichner is brilliant as Aaron, the Hilton sisters' devoted gay makeup artist who also acts as the narrator. His scenes with über bitch Paris, hilariously played by Julie Lake, expose a dark side to gay male/straight female relationships you don't see on Will & Grace. Ultimately, the Hilton siblings come to blows over their diametrically opposed lifestyle choices. But after the dust settles, it's Aaron, not the heiresses, who gets to walk off with a lover into the sunset.— Raven Snook

Reality Check: The real Nicky Hilton married her boyfriend, a New York money manager and party companion, in Vegas the same weekend Nicky Goes Goth opened at the Fringe.

Where: The Players Theatre
When: Sat, Aug 14 at 11 p.m.; Sun, Aug 15 at noon; Wed, Aug 18 at 7 p.m.; Fri, Aug 20 at 5:15 p.m.; Sat, Aug 21 at 11 p.m.; Wed, Aug 25 at 3 p.m.