The two one-acts on this program have potential but ultimately fall apart. Buried in Kalena Victoria Dickerson’s unfocused, cluttered The Gunslinger (and a Baby) is an interesting examination of our desire both to be protected and to feel needed. Though Brian Lobel’s staging is occasionally tight and cohesive, he never really settles into the play, and Marc Chevalier’s set and lights make Breadline’s small space feel sprawling, further hindering our ability to make sense of this ambitious work. Jesse Weaver’s Selective Service and the Art of Acorn Chance is more straightforward. A stylized piece about a small town cleansing itself of “imperfects” by enlisting them to fight in World War I, it offers taut, restrained performances and discussions of fate, pride, and love delivered in a stilted poetry that suggests stifled emotions. Yet the script’s determined unnaturalness eventually drains it of power. Through 6/25: Thu-Sat 8 PM. Breadline Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice, 773-327-6096. $10.