Behind the masks, a metaphor

Entering the lobby of the Edison Theatre in Long Beach for “(M)asking Questions: The Life Stages of Humanitas Persona,” encased masks from various cultures indicate that thematic issues will be paramount. Moving through an entryway adorned with abstract faces -- “Mysterious Face,” “Jubilant Face,” “Angry Face” -- we enter a white-and-teal museum display, where masked figures tellingly pose. Thus, this spare, agreeable trip through the life cycle of the mask joins art gallery austerity to academic theater vivacity.

A dulcet announcement from “The Uber-voice” starts the tour, created by Gavin Hawk and company members. As the subtitle indicates, “(M)asking Questions” follows this “strange species” through National Geographic-meets-Pilobolus phases. From the opening “Neutral Phase,” with drum beats and Marie Yokoyama’s rich light designs creating a postmodern limbo, to the full-circle ending, director Anne Justine D’Zmura keeps precocity to a minimum.

It helps that Hawk and his fellow actors form a unified metaphoric display. As their masks evolve from white faceplates to paper plates, detailed grotesques to half-masks, the performers embrace the largely nonverbal vignettes with increasingly eloquent physicality. Playing against Mark Abel’s snappy sound design, which ranges from “Carmina Burana” to Rush Limbaugh, the 11 players are winningly integrated, particularly impressive as the climactic montage of babble escalates into verbosity.

True, a whiff of the rehearsal studio permeates the proceedings. Given that the piece was a last-minute replacement for the previously scheduled “School for Trophy Wives,” that is understandable, and there is sufficient talent on tap to make these masked questions worth asking.

“(M)asking Questions: The Life Stages of Humanitas Persona,” Edison Theatre, 213 E. Broadway, Long Beach. 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.; also, Sat., May 13, 2 p.m. Ends May 13. $20. (562) 985-5526 or www.calrep.org. Running time: 1 hour.