Zero and infinity: polar opposites, yet two sides of the same coin. The symbol for zero, a circle, is nonetheless endless, like infinity. The symbol for infinity is merely a zero with a twist. Most everything in nature strikes a balance between these two extremes, treading the not-so-fine line between them. Yet every once in a while a rogue particle, a cosmic anomaly will dare to plunge headfirst into the abyss of nothingness and everythingness. In the universe, this is known as a black hole. On earth, black holes are known as corporations.

Or so implies tempOdyssey, a play by Dan Dietz making its West Coast debut at the Art|Works Theatre. I would argue that the play itself is a black hole, melding the extremely commonplace with the supremely bizarre. It begins as a “day in the life,” a day in the ordinary, humdrum, least exciting, most identifiable life possible: that of an office temp. It soon wends its way through the path of least acquaintance, down a rabbit’s hole of absurdism, to an unidentifiable place filed with haunting undertones. Like going to sleep in a “Dilbert” cartoon and waking up in “The Far Side.”

The main characters in tempOdyssey personify the duality of balance and extremes. On her first day temping at the megalocorporation known as Ithaca TechnoSolutions, Ginny meets Jim, who claims, as a long-term temp, to have achieved the perfect balance. He is proud that he is, at once, in the company, but not of the company. He cares enough not to get fired, yet not enough to get dragged in. He is not on the payroll, yet the CEO knows him by name. Genny is the extreme opposite. She loves being short-term, flying under the radar, remaining anonymous, and never having to get close to anyone, because she knows that once she gets involved, she gets way too involved. She is the black hole, all and nothing. He is matter, she is anti-matter, and the result of the convergence is volatile and unpredictable.

Coincidentally, the lead actors exhibit qualities similar to their characters. Liam Springthorpe gives a very balanced performance throughout, personifying the contented, comfortable, down-to-earth, devil-may-care, in-your-face, balanced Jim. Devin Sidell’s perfomance as Genny, on the other hand, is very uneven. Her monologues seem strained, wooden, rehearsed. But whenever she has the chance to interact with other characters, an entirely new personality emerges. She is energetic, engaging, a delight to watch. Zero and infinity personified.

The rest of the cast is excellent in the smaller roles. Ted Jonas plays three characters and is okay in the first two slapstick, high-energy, over-the-top roles, but really shines when he finally gets a chance to really act, playing the nervous security officer trying to defuse a potentially explosive situation. Melli Vytlacil also plays three roles, although I never would have known had it not been listed in the program, as she so embodies the characters that it is difficult to recognize them as the same actor. John Schumacher does a first-rate job as Genny’s father.

The set and projection design by Adam Rigg is inventive and effective. A wall of drawers upon drawers provides the backdrop for the entire play and adds to the feeling of unending magnitude, mind-numbing monotony and impersonal systemization that is the black hole of corporate America.

In short, tempOdyssey is well-acted and well-produced but is a journey that frankly left me a little behind, unable to identify with a main character whose unique childhood experience left her with issues too bizarre to be familiar to almost everyone observing yet too distressing to be truly funny.

tempOdyssey is performed Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 5 pm through June 6

The Art|Works Theatre is located at 6567 Santa Monica Blvd., between Highland and Vine, in Hollywood

Ticket prices: $20 (Students/seniors: $10)

Reservations online at www.needtheater.org or by phone at (323) 795-2215