Oh, the angst. Keith Reddin's black comedy Life During Wartime, playing San Franciso's Angst Ensemble at Il Teatro 450, ends its run with the award-winning company May 12. Jonathan Luskin (Henceforward...) directs.

In Life During Wartime, Tommy is hired as a home security salesman, where his boss Heinrich encourages him to use his customer's fears to sell the systems. At his first sales call, Tommy meets older divorcee Gale and they fall in love. When Heinrich reveals the company's plan to use the security devices to commit crimes, Tommy is faced with telling Gale or going on with his employer's plans. When he does nothing, tragedy results. Throughout the play, John Calvin, part author of the Protestant Reformation, appears to deliver sermons on predestination and humanity's sinfulness from birth.

Reddin is also the author of Black Snow, The Innocents' Crusade, Nebraska and his latest, Synergy, which had its world premiere in 2001 at the Alley Theatre in Houston.

Aaron Brace (Visting Mr. Green) stars as Tommy with Randi Merzon as Gale and Dennis McIntyre as Heinrich. Also in the cast are Jonathan Gonzalez (Calvin, Fielding, et al), Patrick Jones (Howard, Waiter et al) and Heidi Wolff (Sally, Mrs. Fielding, Megan).

Tickets are $20-$15. Il Teatro 450 is located at 449 Powell Street. For reservations, call (415) 433-1172. The Angst Ensemble is on the web at http://www.angstensemble.com. — By Christine Ehren