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David Gray as Einstein (left) and Adrian Alexander as Kafka (right) pester Michael Massey (center) with nothing but questions in “Dancing On Air” at Heller Theatre. MICHAEL WYKE/TULSA WORLD

Original play boasts delightful acting By KAREN SHADE World Scene Writer 2/7/2008 By its title, “Dancing on Air” could’ve been several things — a lighthearted waltz through Vienna, a musical featuring awesome tapper Eleanor Powell floating her way across a keyboard soundscape. But Heller Theatre’s latest staging, which happens to be the winner of its annual original play contest, gives us a pondering Albert Einstein and Franz Kafka. “Dancing on Air” doesn’t sound like the kind of theater to explore the “What does it all mean” conundrum, but playwright William Borden draws out little beads of comedy in his thoughtful work, which is as entertaining as it is engrossing.

The theater opened the show Friday night to a full house. Patrons must have wondered the same thing that prompted Borden to write about a meeting of two iconic figu res in some nebulous limbo for mighty thinkers with too little inclination for social approval. Strangely, they’re the only two there.

Einstein carefully steps around a giant pair of dice, a seesaw and a fl oating door (get the idea?). He’s dressed in a “Princeton” sweatshirt with sneakers to match.

Kafka steps out, just as confused as Einstein. He wears a suit a humanities professor would be proud to own.

They face each other atop a clock face painted on a space they’ve yet to assign meaning.

While the play’s previous title, “Perilous Gravity in an Uncertain Time,” might clue us as to the perplexity its characters feel, not to mention something of their identities, Borden’s words don’t do a shabby job to convey that either.

“So this is it?” Einstein asks.

“So far,” Kafka replies.

“And is this serious?”

“It’s ambiguous, as usual.”

What they have in common outside the pursuit of knowledge is their befuddlement with women, providing some amusing fodder for moments such as Kafka’s metaphor that the universe is a shy girl who doesn’t reveal her secrets.

“Good God, Kafka! Do you suppose .. . that the Old One is a woman?” Einstein shrieks.

David Gray’s Einstein is total fun, while Adrian Alexander’s dry Kafka is an understated pleasure.

In a more trying second act, they wonder if they are being watched, if an audience is present.

A third and fourth character come out to build up to a climax, but that device isn’t as effective as we’d like. Still, there is a charming satisfaction in watching these men, revered for their understanding of unseen forces at play across humanity, making as good a guess as any about what’s next.

The play contains some adult language and themes.

“Dancing on Air” continues at Heller Theatre, 5328 S. Wheeling Ave, at 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are $6-$8. For reservations, call 746-5065. For information, go to www.tulsaworld.com/heller.