Immoral Combat takes place in and around a fast paced newsroom, but it is quickly apparent that the Fringe entry will be going nowhere fast. We follow the tribulations of the staff of Worldwide Broadcasting, a satire presumably of Voice of America, the federal broadcasting service and previous place of employment of the playwright, Rachael Bail. But the satire, a parody of Bail’s real life experiences as a journalist, offers few actual laughs. The short scenes cut in and out, every one punctuated by a full fade to black, aiming to impart a gravity to the story that’s not quite there.

It’s a predictable tale that at times tells a believable story of the chaos of reporting the news, as the cast prepares their daily broadcast amid office politics, love affairs, Chinese food, sexual discrimination lawsuits, and a hot headed, foul mouthed chief editor. The plot slowly trudges along, walking through the dramas and mini dramas of the characters’ daily lives. There’s no huge conflict at the end to resolve. Instead, we’re left with a “dramatic” finale, with the three lead actresses offering monologues on their scrappy career choices.