Hugh Jackman Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

In many ways, New Born, directed by Ian Rickson, fits Audible's mission perfectly. Hickson's monologues are literary, ruminative, and packed with exposition. They delve deeply into the characters' psyches, tracing the profound ways lives are reshaped by chance encounters. Yet, they are not inherently dramatic. There is a leisureliness to their structure and pacing that seems far better suited to the page (or headphones) than to the stage. It's a credit to the captivating actors and the creativity of the designers that there is sufficient theatricality to hold the audience's attention for nearly two hours without intermission.

The triptych opens with "Light," performed by Sepideh Moafi (currently seen as Dr. Al-Hashimi in the second season of "The Pitt"). In this piece, a woman recounts her tryst with a female pop superstar, and the complex, all-consuming relationship threatens the stability of her own life as a wife and mother. The monologue suffers from a fair share of repetitiveness, but Moafi is compelling, subtly revealing the toxic seductiveness of money, glamour, and fame. (Japhy Weideman's lighting and Mikaal Sulaiman's sound design effectively reflect the social worlds the character traverses.)

The evening shifts to the nineteenth century in "Rattle," where Marianna Gailus portrays a barmaid at an inn on the desolate prairie. The young woman conveys a sense of overwhelming loneliness, stating: "At nights, I hear the train horn sound right out across the plains, miles and miles of nothing in its way and it gives me a feeling so lonely–like some kind of poverty." The narrative addresses provocative subjects, but it is ungainly with its intermixture of misogyny, racism, and revenge. Nevertheless, Gailus offers an understated and moving performance. With just a hint of a drawl and a prairie dress worn over contemporary clothes (Kaye Voyce designed the practical costumes), she effectively imparts the brutality of the era.

"Deadwood," the final composition of the trio, is the most engaging, but it too feels overstuffed. Hugh Jackman is enthralling as a tree surgeon who falls in love with, and eventually marries, the woman who hired him. Following the birth of their child, his attraction to his wife undergoes an inexplicable shift, and when a traumatic event occurs, it reshapes the family in unforeseen ways. Jackman's psychological metamorphosis is impressively achieved here. His character begins the piece at the height of his sexual powers, scaling a ladder representing an old, towering tree (Brett J. Banakis and Christine Jones's spare scenic design adeptly evokes a rehearsal stage) only to find himself abruptly and devastatingly earthbound by the end.

New Born is currently playing in rotation with Tom Noonan's What Happened Was.... While it is not nearly as satisfying an evening as the revival of Noonan's play, it remains a worthwhile opportunity to witness exemplary acting in an intimate setting.