The latest production to open at Atlantic Theater Company is “Let’s Love,” a trio of one-acts penned by Ethan Coen. No surprise the subject matter addressed is love, what love is, how to express love, or how people try to find love. It is a love fest where love is examined under many different circumstances. All three one-acts resemble short comedy skits, with little substance and no resolution. There are some funny moments, but for the most part, the action seems like frivolous nonsense. Most of the comedy seems to rely on vulgarity. Mr. Coen does show that people’s concept of love manifests in many different forms and preferences. There is no romance or emotional connection, and it seems that the characters Mr. Coen has created are more consumed with the physical and sexual aspects of love.

The cast serves the material as it is meant to be played, with brilliant comedic flair and impeccable timing, but what is missing is the punchline. Each one-act ends with a whimper and just fades away, making everything that came before it seems irrelevant. In “Broad at the Bar,” the first act, Mary McCann plays a middle-aged white woman trying to pick up the black man who is sitting next to her at the bar. She delivers a monologue about her conquering interracial sexual encounters when she was in her prime, describing her prowess in arousing her partner’s penis. Humorous and raunchy at first, it soon loses its shock value and becomes repetitive. In response, the Man, played by Dion Graham, delivers a monologue that offers no recourse.

The second act, “Dark Eyes,” has no connection to the first except for more explicit descriptions of sexual acts performed with expertise by Susan, played by Aubrey Plaza. Susan was dumped by her husband Dan (CJ Wilson), who is now in a relationship with sexpot Faye (Mary Wiseman). She is trying to hire a hitman called Tough (Chris Bauer) to finish off Dan. She believes his exorbitant rate is too high and offers unbelievable sexual experiences to bring down the price. It appears that the women have control as they spout endless vulgarities and berate their male counterparts. It makes one wonder if sex is that much of a controlling force that it persuades a man to stay with such mean, angry women. There are twists, turns, and surprises, but it is not enough to keep this shallow story interesting.

In the third act, “Girl,” the script settles down and quietly disperses of screaming, dated, vulgar phrases and describing detailed sexual acts. Here the Girl, (Dylan Gelula), does not dominate the action by being loud and vulgar but controls the relationship because the Boy (Noah Robbins) is weak, insecure, and anxious. Although the distasteful language is erased, it is replaced by gross bodily functions that seem unnecessary.

Each act is introduced with a song by the lovely Entertainer, played by Nellie McKay, who accompanies herself on piano. It is a pleasant break in contrast to the content of each play, but it remains a mystery how it has any connection. There may be moments that are humorous, mostly due to the talented cast, but for the most part, it falls short of what you would expect from The Atlantic Theater and an Ethan Coen project.