3.5 out of 5 stars

If Kwaku Fortune’s “The Black Wolfe Tone” leaves you squirming in your seat, that’s by design. This one-man performance piece explores mental illness and the struggle to come to terms with it. During the strongest moments, Fortune lets you inside a troubled person’s mind to chilling effect – his character’s discomfort becomes your discomfort. Also of note: The play touches upon the experience of being a Black man in a country where that’s somewhat unchartered territory. But Fortune’s in-your-face presence — and the fact the play doesn’t modulate from a state of constant frenzy — can be a bit much in the end. — Charles Passy

At the Irish Repertory Theatre, through June 1, 2025; irishrep.org. (Review date: May 9, 2025)