As Social Satire, ‘Experiment’ Falters

“The Great Experiment?,” June Daniels’ muddled social satire at the Lex Theatre, attempts to trace three decades of American greed through the misadventures of an American post-nuclear family, with erratic results.

Cloaking lack of coherent vision in trendy absurdism, a series of snapshots traces the family’s mutation from a frigid “Donna Reed Show” household to neurotic ‘90s wannabe entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, the jokes are so flatly predictable and the characters drawn with so little substance that it’s hard to care what happens to them.

Under Anthony Barnao’s direction, this Blue Sphere Alliance production benefits from Tangie Ambrose’s scintillating performance as a free-spirited lodger, and from inspired costuming by Shon Le Blanc. It’s not enough to get this “Experiment?” past clinical trials, however.

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* “The Great Experiment?,” Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave., Hollywood. Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends June 14. $12. (213) 957-5782. Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes.