Written by Amy Lee Lavoie. Conceived and directed by Richard Wolfe. A Pi Theatre production, presented as part of Boca del Lupo’s Micro Performance Series. At the Fishbowl on Wednesday, April 5. Continues until April 8

Genetic Drift is a cool theatrical experience with a compelling premise, but its storytelling comes up short.

Director Richard Wolfe conceived the piece as part of Boca del Lupo’s Expedition Series, which asks artists to envision our world 150 years in the future. Playwright Amy Lee Lavoie positions the audience as a gathering of the “ultra elite” who’ve paid big bucks for an exclusive peek into the future. Our unctuous host (Alex Forsyth) invites us to contemplate under what circumstances we might be willing to live forever, then unveils Gary 3 (Tom Jones), the future’s genetically altered human with the “face of a microbe.” Gary 3 doesn’t want to be looked at, especially not by us, and his contempt for humanity circa 2017 leads to some darkly funny observations.

I can’t say too much more without spoiling the surprises; the show is only 35 minutes long, but it ends without having built to a satisfying climax. Gary 3 alludes to two previous Garys and a couple of Marys, but we get only enough details to infer the cause of Gary 3’s existential despair, and although Lavoie gets in some witty lines, Gary 3’s haranguing of the audience becomes repetitive.

Jones does a terrific job in the role. With his face completely obscured by Amy McDougall’s creepy mask (based on the microscopic tardigrade, famed for its resilience), Jones relies entirely on his masterful vocal inflection to keep the encounter intimate. Jergus Oprsal’s minimalist set and moody lighting and Daniel O’Shea’s video, especially a trippy dream sequence, add to the experience.

But more story might create a deeper emotional immersion and a more satisfying tussle with questions about the future of human longevity.