It’s been 50 years since William Inge’s play “Natural Affection” has been revived in New York.
The Actors Company Theatre production of this ham-fisted melodrama explains why.
Set in Chicago at Christmas, the story begin with a restless Sue (Kathryn Erbe), a department-store buyer nearing 40, noting, “Life can be ugly.” She’s looking out a window of her apartment when she says it, but she could be gazing in a mirror.
There’s lots of ugliness inside the place she shares with her live-in boyfriend, Bernie (Alec Beard). He can’t keep a job and won’t marry her. Simmering tensions escalate when troubled teenager Donnie (Chris Bert), given up by the unwed Sue when he was a baby, reunites with Mom.
Stirring the pot are Vince (John Pankow), the grabby drunk next door, and his slutty wife, Claire (Victoria Mack). Both have a thing for Bernie. Donnie has a thing for violence.
Inge isn’t subtle, even in his best works. “Picnic,” which won him a Pulitzer, and “Come Back, Little Sheba” gurgle with sexual repression and the reality of harsh compromises.
He stayed true to form in “Natural Affection,” but his stiff dialogue at times feels filtered through Raymond Chandler. When Bernie grouses that Donnie leaves the bathroom a mess, Sue barks, “I said I’d clean it. Now go pass out somewhere.”
Director Jenn Thompson and the cast do what they can with the material, which isn’t much. Inge’s script is oddly obsessed with the way things smell — cologne, pillow cases, clothing. Unfortunately, the show emits its own funky odor.
jdziemianowicz@nydailynews.com
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