Winning the lottery might seem a stroke of luck, but Cliff Roquemore’s Lotto: Experience the Dream at The Ensemble Theatre shows us that winning big often comes with its own set of strange and, in this case, hilarious problems. The story follows Earl, a middle-aged city worker in Los Angeles who wins $10 million.

Surrounded by a wacky group of outrageous characters, Earl finds that his dream-come-true just might turn out to be a nightmare. One son has his head in the clouds, another is angry and resentful, and his daughter, while more levelheaded than her brothers, is made ridiculous by her exaggerated sense of social superiority. There’s also Earl’s loudmouthed sister. Good thing his wife is there to make sure this group of knuckleheads doesn’t make a complete disaster of their good fortune.

The New York Times called Lotto “a bundle of laughs” when it first opened in New York in 1991. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays. Through October 23. 3535 Main. For information, call 713-520-0055 or visit www.ensemblehouston.com. $12 to $35.

Thursdays-Sundays. Starts: Sept. 24. Continues through Oct. 23, 2011

This article appears in Sep 29 – Oct 5, 2011.