Tom Sime’s My Favorite Animal runs through the weekend, and I finally caught it last night. Reminded me how enjoyable it is to follow the work of a single playwright. Sime’s last effort at Teatro Dallas, Bloodletters, was dark and complex, a little gory – hey, there were vampires – and the actors were telling a story within a story. This latest, centering around a very unorthodox group therapy session, shows a more tender and hopeful, if all too human, side of love. In both though, Sime’s examinations of relationships, identity and family dynamics are nuanced and funny.

Last night also reminded me how great it is to see a live performance in a small venue like Teatro Dallas, or any of the others in our area. Both Bloodletters and My Favorite Animal contain moments of suspense, strong action and adult emotion. The difference between watching a staged gunshot or a fight on screen, and one acted out an arm’s length away, is startling. This immediacy and intimacy is part of what hooks theater fans, of course. If you’ve been spending a lot of time in front of the TV or computer screen, check out some theater, even if just for that live experience, that opportunity to recalibrate.

And in case you missed it in the featured content section of artandseek.org, here’s Jerome Weeks’ profile of Sime, which aired on KERA radio earlier this week.