Artsy ëBohemiansí Synetic Theatreís First Original Production Leans Toward Strange by Christine CubÈ Synetic Theatreís staging of "Bohemians," its first venture into an original production, truly lives up to its originality. On opening night, many viewed the show as a form of art. Others, myself included, considered it more to be an acquired taste. Going into this play, the only information youíre armed with is that this is an experimental production examining humanityís beginnings in biblical metaphor through to our evolution into the fast-paced, cutthroat world of modern America. What youíre not sure of is how itís going to be pulled off: Is it a dance production, musical, serious drama or light-hearted play? In fact, itís a little bit of all those things, which lends to the mystery of the piece. I frankly still havenít decided if I enjoyed the experience or not. There is a lot of twitching involved, both from audience members and the actors, who perform rhythmic and awkward movements that tell the story line. In fact, there is hardly any talking during the one-and-a-half-hour performance. The show features an eight-person cast in nearly all-bl ack attire that takes you through different "scenes" in life, starting with "Molecule Love" and moving through to the "Garden of Eden" scene from Genesis where Adam and Eve are tempted by the serpent with the apple. That reference shows up throughout the production and is actually one of the cleverer and rather fascinating life scenes. Other great aspects about the production include the overall acting and the intriguing movement, body language, music and lighting. "Bohemians" Director Paata Tsikurishvili moved away from his usual classical repertoire ("Hamlet," "The Master and Margarita") while retaining his flair for the offbeat to create this piece, which includes many moving parts from the story of Cain and Abel and the Tower of Babel, as well as more modern times. The "Age of Kings" scene, for instance, involves a fairly lengthy battle for a crown that seemed to change hands at least a dozen times among the cast members. It was during the "21st-Century Melting Pot" scene when I probably began to enjoy the performance the most. When the cast ends up in a New York-style city with horns blaring and the sound of crowded streets, they take on different personas from their early biblical roots, donning trench coats, hats and sunglasses, becoming more obscure and closed off in a modern world. The production veers toward the strange, even frightening and disturbing, when the stage takes on the feel of a laboratory, with humans attached to the walls via large vacuum hoses posing as umbilical cords. This scene, titled "Test Tube Love," contains a lesson on the direction modern America is headingówith humans learning how to manipulate life. The scene grows dramatically jarring with what appeared to be "technology" killing our youth, as the actors frenetically bounce around the stage. Opinions are sure to vary as to whether this piece was especially brilliant or artistic. Given the complexity of the material, itís as good a depiction or interpretation of life with religious overtones as it can be. In that sense, the title "Bohemians" truly is fitting of the piece. "Bohemians" runs through March 6 at Classika Theatre, 4041 S. 28th St., Arlington, Va. Tickets are $24 to $29. For more information, please call (703) 824-8060 or visit www.synetic.org. Christine CubÈ is a freelance writer in Alexandria, Va.