I went into this show with very minimal knowledge about Ulysses except that it is a book I have never read, nor attempted to read, by James Joyce. Co-director and actor Scott Shepherd opened the show by speaking directly to the audience, describing the infamous difficulty of the text and the company\'s approach to the work—they would be using Joyce\'s words, though not all of them for time purposes. Behind us, two screens projected the actual text from the book. Would this just be a reading? When the play began and seven actors were seated with what appeared to be scripts in front of them, clad in semi-formal wear, and sat at three rectangular tables, I worried the 2 hours and 45 minutes ahead of me might feel more like years.

Instead, I was drawn in by a rather strange story and the performance, which turned out to be much more than a staged reading. As an outsider, some moments of the plot were more difficult to follow than others. Small props and bold performances made it more digestible. The second act was most compelling, the rectangular tables pushed aside, implementing tools from the art of clowning. With bread and babies flying across the stage (and into the audience), this was a food fight I was glad to attend. I hope to see whatever Elevator Repair Service adapts next.