Theater

‘Trade Practices’ not quite on the money

There I was, frantically waving around my piddling amount of play money as I tried to leave “management” and become one of the “owners.”

Thanks for nothing, lady who demanded $6 when I had half that. You’re welcome, said grumpy guy who ignored me because he wanted to be a worker.

Haggling is just part of “Trade Practices,” an immersive new show in which we theatergoers do just that, in between longer staged scenes describing life at a fictional paper-making company named Tender, Inc.

Created by David Evans Morris and director Kristin Marting, the show divides us into groups of owners, workers, management and communication (p.r.). “Money gurus” give out six fake bucks to each audience member so we can buy into any group we wish. Call it choose-your-own-story-line theater.

At the performance I saw, people really got into the wheeling-and-dealing act. It’s best to try your hand in each group, since their respective scenes are written by six different playwrights.

But as the vibe varies, so does the quality. Robert Lyons nails the drudgery of middle management, but Qui Nguyen’s bits about an “Odyssey”-loving, cool-cat foreman are tiresome.

The show’s ambition is its downfall: It covers too much ground, while the satire turns didactic. And the songs — yes, there are songs, too — only bog down the pacing.

But it’s so rare to see a show tackle American business — on Governors Island, no less — it’s hard not to feel a little bullish about “Trade Practices.”