Written by twentysomething New York playwright Elizabeth Meriwether, The Mistakes Madeline Made is a quirky confection that accumulates into something strange and beautiful. The protagonist works as a personal assistant to a brittle perfectionist, spends her evenings searching for casual sex, and then stops bathing, much to the rest of the characters' olfactory horror. All the people involved, from the cast to the costumer, do their jobs with wit and skill. The actors in particular attain a harmonious style that brings the whole endeavor to oddly compelling life. (Washington Ensemble Theatre, 608 19th Ave E, www.brownpapertickets.com. 8 pm, $15. Through March 16.) DAVID SCHMADER