Despite its title, Call Steve Guttenberg has very little to do with star of ’80s classics like Cocoon, Policye Academy and Three Men and a Baby. Instead, one’s enjoyment of this play will likely hinge on a familiarity with H.P. Lovecraft’s horror stories and whether you’d like to experience their depraved themes on stage.

The play opens on two men and one woman who have just landed a lucrative car commercial contract, thanks to a pitch featuring a series of washed-up ’80s TV and film stars. Think Kirstie Alley, Tom Selleck and, of course, Steve Guttenberg. Their celebratory mood quickly evaporates when the trio learns that they will need to put up $37,000 in order to get the production off the ground. The knowledge elicits a Newman-esque outburst from one of the men and some larcenous behavior from the other.

While the three filmmakers argue deep into the night, their drunken, drug-fueled squabbles are interspersed with scenes of a girl receiving a strange and disturbing letter. The second plot line is never really explained, but things eventually come to a violent head in a stage-y fight scene. As you might guess, things don’t end well for our Guttenberg-loving filmmakers.

For fans of H.P. Lovecraft, there will be a variety of references and narrative tricks that ring true to the author’s stories. However, viewers that are not Lovecraft aficionados will likely find themselves feeling confused by the play’s imagery: an “artifact” that might be drugs or might just be someone’s Himalayan pink salt lamp; a journal filled with incoherent musings; and a letter from a person descending into madness. Many parts of the storyline are undeveloped or left unresolved. None of the characters are even given names, let alone much of a backstory. But like all Lovecraft characters, they are impotent to the dark forces around them (impending doom!). The show bills itself as a comedy, but that’s only true in the darker sense of the word. Ultimately, Call Steve Guttenberg left me feeling confused, vaguely depressed and rather uncomfortable. I guess H.P. Lovecraft would have approved?

Call Steve Guttenberg is playing at The Shop at Fort Fringe (607 New York Ave NW). Remaining performances:

Friday, July 18 at 10 p.m.
Sunday, July 20 at 4:15 p.m.
Tuesday, July 22 at 6: p.m.
Friday, July 25 at 9:45 p.m

Tickets are available here.