Rajiv Joseph has found an exhilarating way to examine the tough subjects of loss, pain, and the balm of creativity with Animals Out of Paper, now premiering at the Second Stage Theatre Uptown. In this wise and richly layered work, the practice of origami is discussed and demonstrated; but significantly more than that, the three-hander operates as a metaphor for numerous things -- from crafting a meaningful life out of positive and negative components to Joseph's snazzily extruding art out of raw, often corrosive ideas.

On a rainy day, recently divorced master origamist Ilana (Kellie Overbey) opens the door of her paper-cluttered studio to calculus teacher Andy (Jeremy Shamos). He is [...]