A terrific cast of eight men and one woman do a wonderful job of delivering the songs and stories, with Steve Gagliastro and Brad Simanski standing out as a two soldiers on opposite sides of the war writing home to their mothers. Jason Bowen is also first rate as Private Smalls, a black soldier court-martialed for refusing to go into a dangerous ammunition depot after a devastating explosion.
But while director Cronin does a great job choosing the actors who portray the soldiers, he is less comfortable with the material. Although the play is essentially a story with music, he keeps trying to turn the production into a musical, with some unintentionally humorous results. At the top of the second act, when the company reprises “Comin’ in on a Wing and a Prayer,’’ Cronin has them perform a dance routine that looks like a cross between the Macarena and some leftover moves from “Cabaret.’’ When they gamely perform a kick line from seated positions, you may find yourself cheering for them just for being so brave.
“The Good War’’ explores the fragility of absolute convictions, and the toll the war took on ordinary people. The Stoneham Theatre production would be better served by a less heavy-handed approach, allowing the soldiers, businessmen, and victims to be individuals rather than be lost in awkwardly staged lineups.
Ryan McGettigan’s multi-tiered set allows Cronin to move the actors around, giving the mostly static storytelling a little juice. But the set often overwhelms both the actors and their stories, and becomes a challenge for lighting designer Christopher Ostrom to avoid leaving the performers in shadow. Although there are some lovely projections on an upstage screen to help orient the audience to the stories being told, the images are often obscured by the set, which becomes more prominent than the actors.
Todd C. Gordon conducts his four-piece ensemble with crisp confidence, providing much-needed emotional nuances, but this “Good War’’ is too much of a jumble to be an effective theatrical evening.
