Ken Early, David Wohl, and Maggie Lou Rader Photo by Ryan Kurtz

Sam is enabled by Foster (Ken Early), a friendly neighbor who visits frequently and has an attachment to days gone not quite as profound as Sam's–and possibly with an ulterior motive. Amelia (Maggie Lou Rader) is Sam's tightly wound daughter who has painfully discovered that the authorities have repeatedly warned her father that his property with an overgrown lawn and piles of belongings inside must be cleaned up. Eviction seems likely, and Amelia repeatedly badgers Sam to take some action. Instead, he stubbornly argues that a man's home is his castle and refuses to acknowledge the legal notices.

This tight ensemble, thoughtfully directed by the playwright, does a fine job with the initial comedy of Sam's obstinacy and his affection for the clutter around him, including objects such as board games dating back to Amelia's youth and even to his own childhood. It's gradually revealed that some of Sam's grip on the past and his shrinking view of the world is protective, fueled by grief over personal loss, especially the death of his wife, whose descent into dementia he struggled to manage despite her increasing inability to recognize him.

Wohl walks the tightrope between the humorous dimension of Sam's insistence that he's "spry" (he's not) and sadder scenes when his loneliness is on display. He shuffles through his crowded home, sometimes in a bathrobe, often stopped by a magazine article or a board game. I Need That is much more than a comedy about Sam's almost unyielding grip on material things.

What he desperately needs is friendship and love. Foster has provided this, but his life is also closing in and his ability to continue as Sam's neighbor is finite. Early, a veteran of several memorable productions at ETC, offers a textured performance that lets Foster slip in and out of Sam's nostalgic recollections while occasionally showing emotional flashes.

Amelia has her own trials, working a frustrating job and having no personal life. She hopes for more but only finds opportunities that might separate her further from her grumpy father. It's a more one-note role, but Rader, who has been seen onstage at ETC as well as Cincinnati Shakespeare and Know Theatre, makes Amelia more three-dimensional as the character's own plight is revealed.

Rebeck's nuanced script calls for acting that ranges from sharp comedy and witty banter to heartfelt exchanges and solo moments that tug at the heartstrings. Wohl's singular scene playing the game "Sorry" in which he reenacts some of the scorn he received from his older siblings is especially moving.

The two-level set designed by Brian c. Mehring and extravagantly strewn with astonishing clutter by properties curator and design assistant Shannon Rae Lutz is virtually another character. The audience gasped upon entering ETC's auditorium, looking wide-eyed at a living room overrun spectacularly with stuffed laundry baskets, piles of mail, books and magazines, crowded bookcases, multiple lamps and worn-out electronics, stacks of clothing and blankets. Narrow paths run between furniture so overloaded there's no available seating except Sam's recliner, where he obviously spends his nights sleeping. The second floor, with shoulder-to-shoulder dressers, furniture, bedding and more, looms claustrophobically over the action, as if it could tumble down at any moment.

Items emerge from the rubble, including a barely functional color television set that Sam's father built from a kit for the family. When Sam fires it up briefly and hears the familiar theme music from "Jeopardy!" he momentarily imagines it might be a time machine. He digs out an electric guitar, a gift from a friend whose tragic death is hard to escape. Its story strikes an unexpected nerve in Foster.

Sam is not a hoarder in the traditional sense; his crowded kitchen is clean, his downstairs powder room is functional and neat. But everywhere else, the detritus of his life seems to rule. Nevertheless, he exclaims, "Things are more important than they look." He clings to items reminding him of his fondly recalled past, symbolic perhaps even unconscious connections that he misses and yearns for. As I Need That unfolds, it becomes clear that what Sam truly needs is human connection. That realization finally almost jubilantly dawns on him.

Rebeck's clever, witty script offers these three actors an array of moments to reveal important human truths, and her insightful direction of scene after scene underscores the deeper texture behind some very amusing moments. It's ultimately an uplifting tale, very much what audiences have come to expect from ETC.

I Need That runs through March 2, 2025, at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, 1127 Vine Street, Cincinnati OH. For tickets and information, please visit www.EnsembleCincinnati.org or call 513-421-3555.