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Is reality news? What constitutes reality in the age of television shows that package everyday events in people's lives? These are just a couple of the questions that arise in Theresa Rebeck's sometimes hilarious and sometimes disturbing Our House, which opened last night at Playwrights Horizons.

This dark satire follows two initially distinct stories which ultimately collide. One centers on the world of a television network run by Wes (Christopher Evan Welch). He's enamored – in more ways than one – of Jennifer (Morena Baccarin), a reporter with some distinction, and sets about turning her into a star. First she's promoted to the network's morning news program (with an increasingly sexy on-air wardrobe, designed with tongue-in-cheek flair by Susan Hilferty). Later, he makes her the host of the company's immensely popular reality series, "Our House." Wes sees this latter move not only as a career-maker for her, but also as a way to shore up his unprofitable news division. He reasons that after Jennifer's interviewed the folks on the show about what's happened in their world, she can report it on the morning news. Stu (Stephen Kunken), one of the news brass at the network, objects to this move initially, but quickly backs down to preserve his career.

As these events unfold, Rebeck's play also follows the day-to-day events in the lives for four housemates in the Midwest. Here, Merv (Jeremy Strong) spends endless hours in front of the television, soaking up programs like "Our House," much to the chagrin of do-goodnik Alice (Katie Kreisler). She's bothered not only by the constant noise of the programming that Merv soaks up, but also by the fact that he's not paid rent in some three months. Merv and Alice's relationship hits fever pitch when they sit down with medical student Grigbsy (Mandy Siegfired) and office tech Vince (Haynes Thigpen) for a house meeting.

How Rebeck contrives to have these stories connect is best experienced firsthand, so nothing more shall be revealed here. Suffice it to say, the stories dovetail with satisfyingly surprising immediacy. Before this happens, and after, she packs the play with delicious zingers that skewer television and the people responsible for putting programs on air, such as: "Staying informed, in America, is optional," which the progressively manic Wes screams at stockholders as he explains how he'll trim the network news staff to create larger profits.

Director Michael Mayer gives the piece a beautifully calibrated staging and has elicited a host of delectable performances from the ensemble. Alongside Welch's frighteningly flamboyant portrayal of Wes, Baccarin turns in a marvelously intelligent turn as the not always terribly bright (her mispronunciation of "Shiite" is a running joke), but certainly shrewd, burgeoning news diva. Kunken's imbues Stu with a weak-willed earnestness that makes the character almost pitiable and Strong, employing a nasal, sing-songiness, turns in captivatingly edgy performance as the TV-addicted Merv.

Scenic designer Derek McLane places the sleek world of the network's offices side-by-side with the homey living room interior of the house the young people share, and the juxtaposition not only heightens theatergoers' awareness of the gulf between the worlds of the observers and the observed, but also allows Mayer's production to unfold with graceful fluidity as "House" moves to its wryly chilling conclusion that ensures theatergoers haven't missed the point of this comic damnation of what's been snidely called things like "the idiot box" and "the boob tube." Thankfully, there's a lot of intelligence at work in "House."

---- Andy Propst

Our House continues through June 21 at Playwrights Horizons (416 West 42nd Street). Performances are Tuesday through Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 2:30 and 8pm; and Sunday at 2:30 and 7:30pm. Tickets are $65.00 and can be purchased by calling 212-279-4200 or by visiting www.ticketcentral.com. Further information is available online at www.playwrightshorizons.org.