Before her suicide in 1999, at the age of 28, British playwright Sarah Kane became notorious for her visceral plays. Blasted, performed at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in 1995, provoked such descriptions as "vile," "disgusting," and "depraved" from London's theater critics. But it's difficult to see this aspect of Kane's work in Crave, her first play to be produced in America, as rendered by the Axis Theatre Company.

Last year, Axis took over the theater at 1 Sheridan Square, formerly home to Charles Ludlum's Ridiculous Theatrical Company. Axis completely renovated the space, equipping it with state-of-the art technology and giving it a polished look and feel. The result is a very[...]