Where would the American theatre be without the dysfunctional family? So many alcoholic fathers, delusional mothers, and resentful siblings have trodden the boards over the past decades that audiences can be forgiven for thinking that little remains to be said. Daniel Damiano's examination of a northern New Jersey family in crisis may not break new ground, but it does prove that the stuff of ordinary domestic life can still pack a punch, especially when placed in the hands of a sympathetic and accomplished cast.
Jesse (Jamie C. Ward) is an out-of-work security guard whose wife disappeared one afternoon during a trip to the A&P. In denial, as the saying goes, he spends most of his time at home in his bathrobe, dealing with his difficult family and keeping the outside world at bay. His mother-in-law, Fretta (Lenore Loveman), is in advanced stages of senile dementia and repeats the same stock phrases over and over; his teenage son Max (Gene Gallerano) is a slouchy, sullen would-be rapper on the verge of being kicked out of school. Instead of drawing the family closer together, the disappearance of Jesse's wife has driven them into separate corners, with father and son constantly sparring while Fretta babbles her maddening non sequiturs.
The situation seems so intractable that the play's first half appears, at times, to be treading water -- but the momentum picks up noticeably after intermission, and we realize how invested we've become in the characters' plight. Damiano has a fine ear for naturalistic dialogue, and his observations of working-class Italian-American life ring true. Gallerano's white-boy rapper reveals unexpected depths as the action progresses, but it is Ward who has the meatiest role. His hangdog expression, flashes of anger, and general air of nervous distraction convey the confusion of a good man who is almost -- but, importantly, not quite -- beaten by life.
Presented by and at Abingdon Theatre Company,
312 W. 36th St., NYC.
March 18-April 1. Tue.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 2 p.m.; Sun. 3:00 p.m.
(212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com.