Go to the bathroom before the show because there is no intermission in Man of La Mancha - the classic play within a play with the old familiar "Impossible Dream" song but a new take on staging and some excellent performances at 5th Ave this month in Seattle.

Director Allison Narver and Set Designer Matthew Smucker took out the traditional curtain and replaced it with a large chain link fence, putting this play from the sixties inside a modern prison where inmates listen to a story and act out the parts as well.

The performers and crew do an admirable job with a show that's not peppy, contemporary nor packed with familiar songs.  I adored Rufus Bonds Jr. in the lead - his voice and motion were inspiring and perfect in the role of the absent-minded knight, Don Quixote.  Equally fun is his comedic side-kick Don Darryl Rivera - together they move the action as well as the scenery, holding together the audiences' attention which is important seeing there is no break in the middle of the show.

Man of La Mancha is for the serious theater-goer.  It's not a family show, not because of content, but because kids will likely be wiggling in their seats - it's more high-brow than current musical fare.  But for those that love this play, or just want to expand their horizons, it's a good night out.

Man of La Mancha, through Oct. 30, 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 Fifth Ave., Seattle, $29-$136, 206.625.1900, 5thavenue.org