Spirit of ’76

This politically charged satire from the Agency Theater Collective feels especially timely during primary election season. Playwright Huck Poe’s premise is that a “catastrophic event” has left a group of congressional representatives, staffers, and ordinary citizens trapped in the Library of Congress, where the only surviving document is the 1868 antisuffrage play The Spirit of ’76; or, The Coming Woman, A Prophetic Drama. While the group’s attempted performance of this absurd source material is the catalyst for the fascinating Lord of the

Flies- style devolution that follows, it’s almost beside the point, and a distraction from the top-shelf acting outside the play within a play. Adam Schulmerich is perfect as a perfectly tyrannical train wreck. — MARISSA

OBERLANDER Through 3/26: Thu-Sun 8 PM, the Charnel House, 3421 W. Fullerton, 773-871-9046, thecharnelhousechicago.com, $15.