THEATER REVIEW — It is true that in the early 1970s, the FBI kept surveillance on former Beatle John Lennon, presumably an effort to build a case against him in order to ship his pot-smoking left-wing hippie keister back to the U.K.

Likewise, much of the background on "Ears of a Beatle," now on the boards in a Human Race Theatre production, is based on history, beginning with the performance of "John Sinclair," the song that helped free a man from an unjust conviction, to the former Beatle's murder in 1980. The production uses photos, artwork and sound clips to hammer home that basis in reality, which Beatle fans will appreciate, but the story itself, of two FBI agents assigned to the case, is pure fiction.

Human Race veteran Tim Lile is Howard Ballantine, the hard-core fed heading up the case, and Ryan Wesley Gilreath (whom I last saw in New Edgecliff Theatre's produciton of Neil LaBute's "Fat Pig" last season) is the younger undercover partner, Daniel McClure, posing as a weaver (the original assignment had him posing as a guitar player, but he feared he would have to prove it somewhere along the way) trying to work his way into Lennon's left-wing circle of friends, which includes the likes of Abby Hoffman.

As the story transpires, the two begin to switch places. While conducting surveillance in a phone company uniform, Howard finds himself in Lennon's Dakota apartment, and his attitude toward the Beatle starts to shift. On the other hand, Daniel's cover takes a beating when he impregnates his source and finds himself on the verge of becoming a family man.

While "Ears on a Beatle" has its funny moments, it's hard to say that its a good comedy, and the dramatic parts just seem a little too pat and contrived to summon up much of an emotional response.

It's all a little too easy and finally comes off more of a fan tribute to Lennon than a thoughtful piece of theater.

• how to go
  WHAT: "Ears on a Beatle" by Mark St. Germain
  WHERE: Human Race Theatre Company, Loft Theatre, 128 N. Main St., Dayton
  WHEN: Through Nov. 2
  COST: $36-$75
  MORE INFO: (937) 228-3630; www.humanracetheatre.org