Known for its audacious, trailblazing style, Sledgehammer’s latest offering, Melissa James Gibson’s [SIC], will both challenge and entertain theatergoers, while asking them to reexamine their interpersonal communication skills. Caution: There is no protagonist, nor storyline, to bring the audience to any expected, dramatic or climactic denouement. The cast includes three New York studio apartment dwellers: Babette (Janet Hayatshahi), Frank (Jason Weller) and Theo (Farhang Pernoon), along with a Man (David Tierney) and a Woman (Robin Christ) who cohabit in the larger living space above the three studios.

In a purely theatrical sense, these five neighbors exist simply to explore the meaning of words — how they can be employed and how they can be so easily misunderstood. Gibson creates a world where intentional double-entendres careen with simple, direct dialog, confusing both the listener and sender of the message. It’s a bit “Dr. Seuss-ical.”

The studio-apartment neighbors become friends with little commonality, except that they all hate their landlord and they are all connected in some way to a guy named Larry (the ex-lover of both Babette and Frank, who is now the new squeeze of Theo’s ex). The couple living above the studio apartments is in the throes of a major breakup.

Theo is a composer, commissioned to write theme music for an amusement ride called Thrill-o-Rama. Babette is an author trying to find a publisher for her collection of verbal, 20th Century outbursts. And Frank is practicing his skills as an auctioneer with a home-study course.

The characters complain, intrude on one another’s space, apologize, side-step issues, harass one another and question one another’s thoughts and intentions. They do this through constant, verbal bantering. Like everyday communication, much of what they say makes no sense, and, on most occasions, their communication is easily misconstrued to mean the exact opposite of what was intended.

The title of the play, “[SIC]”, indicates that a word or phrase which may appear to be incorrect, has been quoted verbatim. The characters in the play continually question the intentional use of words and phrases used by the other players.

Babette, Frank and Theo eavesdrop on the Man and Woman in the upstairs apartment to hear scraps of conversation. This seems to parallel our daily conversations where we select bits and pieces of the conversation to formulate a meaning that is more or less what we want to hear (or don’t want to hear).

We can relate. Like listening to the rapid delivery of Frank’s auctioneer character, many times we are forced to hear selectively.

While the three single individuals seem to concentrate on verbal skills, the couple above seems to explore non-verbal communication skills — tossing books and food and moving furniture.

Ruff Yeager directs his cast well; their adrenaline-infused performances never seem able to catch their breath. Fast-stepping movements are juxtaposed with rapid-fire conversations as the actors question, interrogate and comfort one another. Hayatshahi, Pernoon and Waller have some hysterical moments and all hold their own quite well.

Scenic designer David Weiner should be complimented on his unique set design that allows for eavesdropping on the part of the audience through a mesh exterior of the apartments — both upstairs and down. In the apartment upstairs we oftentimes only see the body parts below the belt, but those parts communicate as fully as the spoken word.

If you are looking for conventional theatre, this isn’t the vehicle. But those looking for a challenging ride on Gibson’s comedic Thrill-o-Rama will probably enjoy [SIC].

[SIC] plays at Sledgehammer through July 20. Call (619) 544-1484 for tickets or more information.