Meshing the lives of five well-to-do, but basically unhappy people, 'Degrees' could be seen as a modern parable, a piece that explores how people can seem to have everything material, but still be missing what is most basic. A purpose, something, or in this case, someone, who gives their lives meaning and a snese of worthiness. In this play, that someone would be Paul (Mascorella), a young man who enters first the lives of Ouisa and Flan (Eloisa Cardona and Dennis Kleinsmith), via a supposed mugging and stabbing. He does have a wound, and is oozing blood when he bursts into their New York brownstone, and the story he tells of being the son of Sidney Poitier is immediately believed by the couple, who want to help him. But after they return from a night out, to find Paul 'entertaining' a stranger he picked up on the street, things begin to unravel, and Paul is asked to leave, as is the hustler (Gordon Hendrickson).

We find that Paul has not only done this before, but find that the children of the other victims—a divorced doctor, and another well heeled couple (Curt Bolar, Jeffrey Wade Gilbert and Kathleen Ulrich)—all went to the same school and through a friend of theirs, Paul learned all he needed to know to con them all. Still, we wonder, why did they fall for this man's story, even as it is full of holes to us, the audience? And in that answer lies the gem within this play and the disturbing truth.

Go see it and figure it out, and believe me, you'll leave a little unsettled, but a little wiser. For ticket information, call 364-3283, or go online to www.reacttheatre.org.