4 out of 5 stars

In "Delirium," Ukrainian-born director Igor Golyak literally explodes Eugene Ionesco's obscure absurdist one-act "Frenzy for Two," turning it into a raucous rhapsody of sound, light, humor and bizarre beauty amid wartime horror. Ionesco's characters argue over the nature of tortoises and snails -- creatures who carry shelters on their backs -- as violence rages around their own house. But here, the house keeps collapsing with sharp bangs all around us while two indefatigable actors (Andrey Burkovskiy, Chulpan Khamatova) clown and bicker wildly. The performances and production design repeatedly astonish, lifting a minor Ionesco play to an intriguing new level. 4 out of 5 stars. — Adam Z. Horvath

At The Space at Irondale, through Nov. 7, 2026; deliriumnyc.com.