In David Mamet’s “The Cryptogram, ” a young boy refuses to go to bed, pestering his mother about the whereabouts of father. She continually puts him off with the help of a family friend, who hangs out in the living room like a long-lost uncle. But daddy, it is soon revealed, is never coming home. Seems he has other pursuits to explore, which also include other women. It’s not a bad play, exploring the way we dance around unpleasant subjects, but it comes with a major obstacle for any director: where do you find an eight-year-old kid who can manage Mamet’s overlapping dialogue? It seems an impossible task, judging by the most recent revival by The Journeymen, directed by Frank Pullen. Mamet, done poorly, is like nails on a chalkboard. Eecchh. (Nina Metz.)

This production is now closed.