The Philadelphia neighborhood where Corner Wars takes place may be among the largest open-air crack markets in the country. As a setting for dramatic events, it's familiar turf, depicted in countless TV cop shows and angry films by angry young directors. Theater for a New Generation's Corner Wars, the first play by 23-year old playwright/actor Tim Dowlin, is steeped in the language and culture of the urban world it depicts but fails to surprise us, relying instead on clichés. The result is an evening with four commendable performances among the too-large cast of sixteen, and a show that flirts with excellence but is married to the mundane.

The sheer size of the cast is an indica[...]