David Crabb's "Bad Kid" at Axis Theater In his endearing solo show "Bad Kid," David Crabb explains how his life changed as a teenager when, while driving with his father in San Antonio, he saw a group of goth kids walking across the street. Even though the heat caused their hair dye to drip down their faces, the kids in this black-clad clique were an inspiration. "They look like superheroes going to a funeral," he says, awe flashing on his face. Mr. Crabb, a slight performer with a nimble voice, delivers a fairly ordinary story about youthful mistakes and adventures, coming out and discovering your identity. It's not formally tricky, and while there are a few slides employed, the presentation at the Axis Theater is unfussy. His physicality is subtle, but strategically broad. What distinguishes "Bad Kid" is not its plot or its theme but its vivid characters. By using precise accents and gestures that reveal far more than superficial attributes, Mr. Crabb evokes several memorable people in his life, including his stoical father, his comically supportive mother and a few friends who begin as stereotypes but don't end there. His campy diva pal, Roxanne, steals the show, but the equally complex skinhead Zach also resists pigeonholing. Being a gay goth kid in Texas could make you an outcast, and while Mr. Crabb is not blind to prejudice or ostracism, that's not the story he tells. In fact, his view of his parents, friends and classmates is consistently marked by a well-adjusted perspective and compassion. He ends his show by saying that he hopes his parents never see it. If that's true, he should reconsider. Although they are gently mocked throughout - and there are stories of debauchery that they would probably not approve of - this is an unmistakable love letter to them. This does not surprise me. While high school goth kids can look scary, behind all that makeup are some of the most tender-hearted romantics you could possibly meet. After all, the most famous ancestor of the goth movement was Frankenstein, the creature who, besides being a terrifying monster, was often portrayed as a gentle and largely misunderstood weirdo.