“In Our Grandmother’s Attic,” written by Elaine Hewes with music from the 1920s-1940s, is a reunion play that willy-nilly plunges three sisters into a pool of long-ago-filed memories and unexpected discoveries stimulated by the scrapbook and personal effects of their deceased grandmother, Lillian Moore. Sponsored by New Surry Repertory Theatre, and playing Aug. 15 and 28 at the Blue Hill Consolidated School, the play brings together the vocal talents of a cappella group Wild Ginger and the production crew of the New Surry Theatre.

The scrapbook is the focal point of the story and, through its letters, news clippings, and journal entries, inspires the fortysomething granddaughters to reconsider the secrets of their grandmother’s life. It also records the highlights of Lillie’s life in the first half of this century: her Philadelphia-style coming-out party, her move to New York City to pursue a musical career (rather than marry money at home), her singing with a popular trio called The Mint Juleps, her close friendship with co-singer Dixie, her loneliness when Dixie marries and moves to White Plains, her own marriage to a showbiz producer, and the birth of their daughter.

Except for a few pokes of sibling rivalry and the sympathy they feel for the difficulties their ambitious grandma faced in a pre-women’s liberation society, the sisters happily reminisce by playing dress-up and performing songs from Lillie’s career and their own living-room act “Lillie and Her Phillies Three.” With the help of stylish hats, long beads, gold cigarette holders, billowy boas, and costume-ball masks, the women recreate the New York state of mind in the days of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard Rogers, and Ray Henderson. With great pizzazz, they sing “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “The Man I Love,” “Bubbles,” “Heebie Jeebies,” “Fascinating Rhythm,” “Bye-Bye Blackbird,” and “42nd Street.”

The sisters look to their grandmother as a strong female role model, a trailblazer in issues of equality, and a self-actualized woman. Yet, through the years, some things haven’t added up, and the real discovery in the attic is about Lillie’s choice to leave her husband and daughter in Atlantic City for the lights of Broadway. The sisters marvel at their grandmother’s determination, and wonder if Lillie herself finally believed the sacrifice was worth it. But the trauma ends neatly when Lillie gets a pleaful letter from her 10-year-old daughter requesting that the career-minded momma please come home now. The little girl writes, “Your dream was to become a singer. My dream is for you to come home.”

Throughout “Grandmother’s Attic,” the action toddles along a prosaic timeline of feminist history, and the stilted language and sentimental plot line add little more than filler between songs. Luckily, the piece is “a work in progress,” as director Bill Raiten, of New Surry Repertory Theatre, explained during introductory remarks last Sunday, so it still has time to work through the awkwardness in the script.

By showcasing American jazz tunes, sung by Wild Ginger (whose harmonies are about the best and most clever you’ll find in Hancock County), the play has a solid foundation from which to work. Scott Dyer’s piano accompaniment isn’t really necessary or appropriate for some of the group numbers, but works well for solos and segues.

The Wild Ginger women — Diane Gallagher-Keefe, Elaine Hewes, and Janet Simpson — are in their element with the music, and their attack is flawless, particularly with the facility and richness of Gallagher-Keefe’s backup vocals and bass lines. When the song is a cappella, these woman are hot — both vocally and dramatically. However, they are unschooled in most of the non-musical dramatic practices that would make the show more visually elegant and interesting. Raiten might have taught this immensely talented group some of the tricks of the trade (like staying in your spotlight, avoiding too much eye contact with the floor, and eliminating unnecessary movement during solos).

“In Our Grandmother’s Attic” will be performed 8 p.m. Aug. 15 and 28 at the Blue Hill Consolidated School. For tickets, call 374-5057.