Kenrex is the kind of theater that sends even the most experienced critic scurrying for a thesaurus—and with good reason. It's the perfect piece for Gen X and Z-ers who like podcasts, and ideal for older patrons who loathe musicals. It's based on a true crime spree that ends in murder, in which the perps are...well, that's giving away far too much. 

Photo by Manuel Harlan.

It's also (and you'll read this everywhere, because it's the central organizing principle of the show) an absolute tour-de-force performance by co-creator Jack Holden, who plays more than two dozen citizens of a small town: Skidmore, Missouri.

Photo by Matthew Murphy.

Set between the late '70s and early '80s, Kenrex details the true-to-life escalating crimes committed by the town miscreant, Ken Rex McElroy. He's a cattle rustler, an arsonist, a would-be murderer and he promises to put you in the ground if you try to convict him in a court of law. In actuality, McElroy held the entire town hostage through one atrocity after another, until the locals eventually felt obliged to respond.

Photo by Manuel Harlan.

While Holden will make your blood run cold in his portrayal of McElroy, he'll also tickle you with the various quirky townfolk he fleshes out while spinning his tale. Imagine Greater Tuna as a thriller rather than a comedy, and you're picking up the vibe. Since this show is an import from the UK, and Holden is playing salt-of-the-earth Midwestern Americans, don't be surprised if you also detect a twinge of commentary from the British creators about how America tends to be fascinated by its own predilection for violence.

John Patrick Elliott. Photo by Manuel Harlan.

Well worth mentioning is the music (contributed by composer/performer John Patrick Elliott), who manages to convey everything from small town country pop to savage head-banging dread inspired by McElroy's increasingly brutal behavior. Lights, video, props all combine in a whirlwind that Holden navigates like his own perverse playground. This is that show you take your Dateline-loving theater-hating relative to see and watch them finally understand why the rest of us go. It's better than its most flattering reviews suggest.

Kenrex has been extended through Saturday, June 27. It's playing at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St., kenrextheplay.com