Sat. Nov. 14

Last call! A man at a cafe table dies. His cell phone rings. The woman at the next table answers it ... and we're off. This reminds me of when answering machines were new. Woman (always a woman) killed. Detective comes to home. Phone rings. Answering machine clicks on with the dead woman's voice. Anyway, this cell phone pickup is how Sarah Ruhl's edgy comedy called, well "Dead Man's Cell Phone," directed by Carmel O'Reilly, starts. It's at the Lyric Stage Company and closes Saturday Nov. 14. (Check website for particular showtimes; there are some matinees as well as evening shows.) The woman who finds the phone forges new relationships on his behalf with his bereft family members and discovers his life was a mystery even to those closest to him. We intend to see this, but we can say in advance the New York Times has called the play a “beguiling new comedy,” adding “Ms. Ruhl is the rare young writer with a truly theatrical imagination. She goes her own way, discovering surprising beauty and offbeat humor in unlikely places.”Tickets: $50-$25.

140 Clarendon St., 617-585-5685 www.lyricstage.com