Day Drinkers

In his latest play, Justin Tanner appears to have flirted with the notion of giving us his most cynical work to date, but the confrontational interactions among his sometimes morally challenged characters eventually slip into the softer-edged sensibility of a mildly sardonic rom-com.

Three contentious love relationships make up the narrative, set in a California bar, where the regulars begin arriving at 9 a.m. for their daily rituals of boozing and bickering. The owners—Daniel (Todd Lowe) and his wife, Jenny (Chloe Taylor)—are in the midst of a marital crisis, which seems largely the result of Jenny's frigidity. Daniel might also be aware she's entangled in an affair with his shiftless brother, Caleb (Cody Chappel). Lesbian spouses Kate (Melissa Denton) and Sharon (Maile Flanagan) are en route to an out-of-town get-together with Kate's family, but Sharon dreads this family's homophobia and their other undesirable traits. Meanwhile, Mick (Tom Fitzpatrick) and his heavy-drinking fiancée, Val (Danielle Kennedy) face a challenge to their bond when Mick's conniving son, Bradley (Jonathan Palmer), pays a visit and feigns attraction to his dad's horny lady love.

The individual love stories are generally funny, sometimes evoking a hint of poignancy, but don't expect something Chekhovian or Bergman's "Smiles of a Summer Night." The script never quite weaves its parts into a thematically cohesive whole.

Thankfully, the effort is bolstered by director Bart DeLorenzo's splendid ensemble cast, bringing out the ironic wit in Tanner's crackling dialogue. Kennedy is especially on target as the daffy overage gold digger, trying to latch on to her fiancé's limited fortune while dishing out unsolicited marital advice to Jenny. Flanagan, a longtime expert at deadpan punch lines, is in tiptop form, and Denton provides her perfect foil as Sharon's impatient wife. Palmer is amusingly smarmy as Mick's self-serving son. Excellently playing subtler roles are Chappel, Fitzpatrick, Lowe, and Taylor. There's a gutsier, more profound play seemingly struggling to emerge from the sitcom conventionality that predominates here. It would be rewarding to see this promising piece sharpened up around the edges.

Presented by Linda Toliver, Gary Guidinger, and the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble at the Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A. Aug. 27-Oct. 9. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. (Also Wed., 8 p.m., Sept. 21 & Oct. 5.) (310) 477-2055. www.odysseytheatre.com.