Leave your manners at the door

It may be a tragedy how quickly the veneer of civilization breaks down, and under so little pressure, but it’s also extremely funny to watch, and—for many of us—schadenfreude is our favorite emotion. This brings us to the Tony-winning God of Carnage, Yazmina Reza’s remarkable, hilarious and personal myth-shattering play, which has its regional premiere under the direction of Buck Busfield at the B Street Theatre. Alan (Kurt Johnson) and Annette (Elisabeth Nunziato) are visiting Veronica (Dana Brooke) and Michael (David Pierini) to discuss a playground altercation between their sons. But the gracious living room quickly becomes a playground—or perhaps a wilderness—of its own, as their discussion of the boys’ situation begins to reveal flaws in both personal images and marriages. The ensemble is perfectly cast, with a standout performance from Brooke as a quivering-lipped save-the-world type overwhelmed by the violence that remains in what passes for upper-middle-class civilization.

God of Carnage; 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, 2 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 5 and 9 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; $18-$30 with some student rush tickets available. B Street Theatre, 2711 B Street; (916) 443-5300; www.bstreettheatre.org. Through November 6.