In theory, everything about promising new playwright Nathan Wright’s “Peninsula” should work: strong plot, great direction, wonderful ensemble, solid writing, and a small horde of ethnically diverse and really attractive people. However, this second mounting of “Peninsula” (an official selection of FringeNYC's Encores Series) left me feeling hollow.

When the lights rose on the barren stage at The Players Theatre, a lissome man recited a roving monologue. As he contorted his body while handling Wright’s beautiful and poetic language, I found myself sinking deeper into my chair, preparing for what I anticipated would be a long evening.  Unfortunately, this wasn’t the last time “Peninsula” felt suspended by digressive language: the otherwise tight and compelling play feels in dire need of a cruel editor.

As the play unfolds, we meet Tiago, the ubiquitously desired, sexually ambiguous, Brazilian import on a beach in a sleepy summer town in Northern Michigan. Tiago meets Tommy, a privileged white kid who looks like he always smells of soap and who vacations on the shore. In a series of asides, we hear Tommy’s wanton desires as well as the ghosts of Tiago’s Rio de Janeiro past. Lily, a fiery ex-girlfriend, and Nelson, a sleazy man with a perilous plan, appear to haunt Tiago while he navigates this new world. Bizarrely, only Tiago seems to have an accent in Rio De Janeiro; both Lily and Nelson are devoid.

Tiago’s co-worker, Bennett, the nominee for nicest guy ever, warns him about the flirtatious Tommy. Tommy, also troubled by a philandering, never-present father and a mother who is losing her battle with control, connects with Tiago. Strange antics ensue: surprise, tragedy, and a whirlwind of sex and class divides.  Most memorable, the play suggests, are the ghosts we cannot escape and the truths we hope to bury.

The production in Nadia Foksolou’s very capable hands shows great restraint. She chooses a sparse and economical approach to staging, allowing the audience to fill in the gaps. That said, there seems no real distinction between Michigan and the flashbacks in Brazil’s underbelly. At times, “Peninsula” feels like a vivid choreopoem, in that the play is so heavily reliant on text and movement. When this succeeds, the play soars, with language and movement combining in a bloody, visceral, and altogether phantasmagoric feat.

There is no shortage of talent here. Josue Gutierrez Guerra is a simpering and capable Tiago as the boy everyone falls for.  Angela Atwood as Mrs. Vaughn and John Zdrojeski as Bennett are standouts whose range, humor, and unpredictable performances keep us invested in “Peninsula”. As a whole, Kellan Peavy (Tommy), Vanessa Bartlett (Lily), and Marc Sinoway (Nelson) are well cast and compelling in their respective roles. However, they feel a bit cheated as their characters are largely underdeveloped and caught in predictable tropes. The real star, though, is the ensemble as a whole: they work together seamlessly.

“Peninsula” seems to be flirting with the edge of greatness, and Nathan Wright is on the precipice of exploding. For all its flaws, the play is well-crafted and Wright has a provocative new voice. Perhaps the next incarnation will be able to invoke the real demons floating just beneath the surface.

Catch the final performances of "Peninsula" at The Players Theatre on October 5th at 9 p.m. and October 13th at 7 p.m.  Check out our full event listing here: https://stagebuddy.com/listingdetail.php?lid=15219