Seth Grugle, Erica Harte, Jennifer Noth, Angel Velasco and Darius-Anthony Robinson in a scene from Theater Three’s “It’s Only Life.” (Theatre Three/Jeffrey Schmidt)

The first thing you notice walking into the basement of Theatre Three is how small the theater actually is. The theater only fits 50 people.

Where is the stage? An orchestra? Why is the wall covered in cones of newspaper? This is not the traditional theater experience one typically thinks of with the word “theater.”

There is no dancing or spoken dialogue. There is nothing but a piano and five performers.

“It’s Only Life,” a musical revue by John Bucchino, focuses on the lives of five ordinary, nameless individuals, played by Seth Grugle, Erica Harte, Jennifer Noth, Darius-Anthony Robinson and Angel Velasco. The play follows their relationships with life, love and each other.

There is no clear story, but short, separate songs with a common theme of “ordinary life.”

A man painting his kitchen becomes an exploration of an empty love life, and an evening at a bar after a show becomes a reflection on personal inadequacy and a general fear of loneliness.

The songs aren’t strongly connected by a story, and that sometimes makes it difficult to determine what exactly the singer is feeling, or singing about. Acting sometimes takes a back seat to vocal performance, but everyone can relate to the music and lyrics.

Some songs do tend to run together as the staging, music and performance seems repeated, but there are enough standouts, such as “Playbill,” “A Powerful Man” and “If I Ever Say I’m Over You,” to balance out repetition.

This production is not perfect. Things aren’t seamless, effects aren’t spot-on, there is nothing stunning or spectacular whatsoever and that’s exactly how it should be.

The one thing pervading the performance at all times is a sense of intimacy and common ground.

Nothing is amplified by microphone because the audience is so close that nothing needs to be. The set it simple and the only accompaniment is a piano in the corner.

It doesn’t feel like theater, it feel like a coffee house. The songs are sweet and charming, and it’s hard to imagine them working anywhere other than a small setting with a handful of people.

The magic in this show is the thing that establishes that crucial connection and intimacy with the audience.

The audience feels so close to the performers, by proximity and tenderness of song, that we listen and care about the characters.

Without this intimacy, the show would fall completely flat and the message would be lost. When the lights go out and the cast bows, you feel like you’ve just watched your friends, not actors.

“It’s Only Life,” directed by Michael Serrecchia, runs through Dec. 11 at Theatre Three.