If this summer has taught us anything, it’s that we, as a society, are completely insane. For months, we’ve obsessed over the budding then blossoming romance of TomKat, understood Jennifer’s pain, and found ourselves thinking that, yes, Jessica is too good for Nick. As much as we take comfort in writing off Tom Cruise, calling his views and methods of expressing them downright ludicrous, we still stay glued to the television when he walks onto a talk-show set, and nothing will stop us from buying the latest issue of People. We are hypocrites, and damnit, we love it.

In such times, it is good to remind ourselves of the fine line between interest and obsession–and what happens when we cross it. Olsen Terror–a one-man cabaret show that traces the downward mental spiral of a man obsessed with the Olsen twins–amusingly does just that.

Olsen Terror stars the lovable Chris Wells as a middle aged man who slowly assumes the identity of the Olsen twins via his participation in the web forums of a popular Mary-Kate and Ashley fan site. He is joined onstage by the talented Jeremy Bass, who resides in the corner of the stage, providing acoustic guitar accompaniment for the show’s musical numbers. The script, written by Mr. Wells and co-writer David May, leads the viewer on a finely woven journey through Mr. Wells mind, and the mind of other Olsen fans. Much of the book is composed of actual fan-forum posts regarding the Olsen twins, and through Mr. Wells’ sharing of these posts and his responses, we are made aware of his overwhelming knowledge and love for the twins, eventually leading him to assume their identity–yes, both of them at once. The musical numbers give much more insight as to the play’s theme, as the numbers themselves vary from chilling to downright gleeful (including a number in which Mr. Wells sings the jingle of a French McDonald’s commercial supposedly having been recorded by the twins). The inner state of Mr. Wells during this transformation–both his admiration, and the frightening reality that obsession is often threatening–is best expressed through the songs, and more than anything else, they’re entertaining, provide some of the funniest moments of the show, and will have you humming them on your way home from the theater.

Mr. Wells’ performance is a riot. In pure cabaret style, he embraces the audience and carries them along for the ride. His ability to play and engage the audience draws laughs where the script doesn’t call for them. For Mr. Wells, it isn’t so much about the words, but rather the character–the cute and disturbing middle-aged man taking up an obsession with stars who became famous long before they became 18…even before they were out of diapers.

For a while, the play seems to be repetitive and appears to lack any forward motion, but the changes in Mr. Wells’ character are subtle enough that matched with his engrossing performance, you don’t realize how deep you’re in until he begins seriously considering that perhaps he is the Olsen twins.

All in all, the show serves as one of the more entertaining nights of theatre you’ll get without breaking the bank for a Broadway show. It runs under an hour, and producer Chris Mirto has outfitted the house and playing space with couches, stools, benches, and chairs, all arranged as intimately as can be, to create the feeling that you are becoming as consumed by Olsen-hysteria as Mr. Wells.

The show has been in workshops now for a while, the next performance of which happens THIS MONDAY, AUGUST 8TH at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting: 31 West 27th Street, 3rd Floor, NY, NY. Curtain is at 8:00pm and admission is just five dollars (with discounts of 3 for $12, and 4 for $15). This will probably the last chance to see it for cheap, as this fall it will receive a full run at Joe’s Pub, down in the East Village.

If you’re looking for a way to spend your Monday evening, and you want to be thoroughly entertained for little money, go be Olsen-terrorized.

Until next time….