The Bilbao Effect

Oren Safdie’s shaky send-up of recent trends in urban renewal, set at a public hearing about a planned Staten Island development project, gradually degenerates into a five-ring circus of hammy mayhem. The ensemble bravely stays afloat on this sinking ship, but the real star of the evening is a model of the planned S.I. revamp, which looks like something Frank Gehry might design while on crystal meth.—Pamela Newton