Cabinet of Wonders

Sept. 29-Oct. 24, $18-$25, Underground Arts at the Wolf, 340 N. 12th St., 215-407-0556, gasandelectricarts.org.

by Mark Cofta

theater

Furniture fosters feelings in Cabinet of Wonders, An Impossible History. "From inception and through development and production," says director Lisa Jo Epstein, "the animation of the actual cabinet and its objects have been an integral part of the script." As siblings Christina (Catharine K. Slusar) and Leopold (Ross Beschler) face impending eviction, they rediscover stashed family treasures, unearthing facts and fancies about their colorful ancestry. "We are interested in the way memories are connected to objects and unlikely heirlooms," Epstein explains, "and what happens to our self-definitions and our memory if we are abruptly cleaved from that which has carried meaning for us." Expect secret drawers popping open, inspiring stories, songs, vaudeville routines and animated surprises.