Playwright Rob Becker, writing in the first person, built the one-man theater piece "Defending the Caveman" to explain that men have real feelings. They just express them differently than women do.

The basic theme is that men evolved as hunters, women as gatherers.

Hunters focus on one thing to the exclusion of all else; that's why men turn down their car radios when they are lost in traffic. Gatherers take in multiple information sources simultaneously; that's why women are so good at shopping.

Women cooperate, men negotiate. Those separate styles work effectively but can often be misread and misinterpreted in mixed company.

At the Hawai'i Theatre, Isaac Lamb presents the show in a disarming performance slathered with charm and aimed primarily at women, but with enough comic insight to engage men, as well. He elaborates the basic message with adult language and plenty of examples. His style is well-oiled and smooth, using exaggerated facial expressions, body language and pantomime to flesh out the written script.

He is also a master of the effective pause, punctuating and highlighting the comedy by setting it off with meaningful silence. The device conveys an immediately clear message, "pay attention now — this is something very important, and possibly very funny as well."

Lamb plays his audience carefully, inviting them in on the jokes and playing off their reactions. The evening is filled with recognition and lots of laughs.

See it at 2 and 8 p.m. today, or 2 and 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Hawai'i Theatre; $31-$46, 528-0506, www.hawaiitheatre.com.