Dublin by Lamplight

The 1st Irish festival and its many imported actors have done "Dublin by Lamplight" no favor by displaying authentic Irish accents that put to shame the half-baked attempts on display at 59E59 Theaters. Most of the actors in Michael West's tonally confused comedy make no further effort at an accent than applying a lilt to a word or two in each sentence; some can't be bothered by even that.

A broadly written show about Irish nationalism and the power of theater, "Dublin by Lamplight" is performed in the commedia dell'arte style, complete with painted-on faces and effortless clowning. Set in 1904 on the day that playwright Willy (Jered McLenigan) will debut his new play about the Irish fighting for their country, "Dublin by Lamplight" is hampered by Tom Reing's not-brisk-enough staging and a destructive intermission that kills the play's momentum.

The first act is mainly concerned with Willy and his cast—including Megan Bellwoar as a diva and Mike Dees as a fey actor—making their slow way to the theater. The effect is remarkably similar to what "Noises Off" might have been like had the show begun with its cast waking up and preparing for their day. Our interest has already flagged by the time the play within "Dublin by Lamplight" finally makes its debut in the second act, a debut accompanied by farcical backstage disasters as ambitious costume designer Maggie (Sarah Van Auken) steps in as Willy's leading lady alongside some woefully unprepared performers.

Reing shines when it comes to the backstage shenanigans and acquits himself admirably in the first moments of West's sudden swerve into serious drama. But he and his cast can't overcome the script's abrupt shift in tone, one that leaves the characters looking like fools and the audience wondering when that blessed curtain will finally ring down.

Presented by Inis Nua Theatre as part of 1st Irish 2011 at 59E59 Theaters, 59 E. 59th St., NYC. Sept. 14–Oct. 2. Tue.–Thu., 7:15 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 8:15 p.m.; Sun., 3:15 p.m. (212) 279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com.