Cold War still mushrooming in production of `Nebraska’

If you think you have problems, meet the cast of Keith Reddin’s play “Nebraska.” Major Gurnery is a washed up Air Force leader. His wife, Carol, is an alcoholic adulterer. Newly appointed missileer Dean Swift is going out of his mind. His infantile wife, Julie, has already gone out of hers. And Lt. Henry Fielding is a scoundrel thinly disguised as a macho party dude.

No, there’s not much fun with this group but you can understand why. It’s the post-Cold-War era and they are guarding the nuclear missile silo in Omaha, Neb. Basically, they have nothing to do. They can’t obliterate anyone else, but they can make bloody messes of their own lives. In this play, their problems start at bad and quickly mushroom to worse.

What you may not understand is why director Mark Torres picked this seemingly dated and suffocatingly depressing piece as the newest offering at Penobscot Theatre. Although there are still good men and true stationed 70 feet below the earth ready to pop those missiles out if need be, the topic itself has lost some of its efficacy and intrigue now that we like the Russians again. Amateurish acting and slow pacing don’t help enliven Reddin’s script which is rife with such unclever lines as “I like you, so sue me.”

None of the performances is outstanding, but Robert Libbey as Swift and Kimberley Dakin as his wife have some spunk and depth. Geno Carr as the wide-eyed, nerdy Ted Barnes, adds an odd comic element. And it’s a sure bet that Jay Skrilletz will make you feel nauseated in his drunk scene.

But too often this production goes for the obvious. In a silent scene meant to emphasize the tormenting 24-hour shift that Swift and Fielding (Derek Stearns) endure, the actors unsubtly look at their watches two times each. The point is made long before the stage tricks are finished.

You may, in fact, completely miss the sense of the human tragedy and quiet desperation of Reddin’s work because everything is so dramatic. The absurd existence of these military peacekeepers whose time essentially has passed doesn’t have the impact it should partially because the sharpness of the armed services lifestyle is missing and partially because the dramatic timing seems to drag.

Torres’ sleek, white, tubular set and marshmallowy segue music between scenes successfully reflect the emotional blankness of these pitiful characters and the starkness of their duty. Street clothes costumes by Ginger Phelps and lighting by Michael T. Vicious don’t intrude the way they might against such a bright background.

“Nebraska,” will be performed 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 5 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, through April 10, at Penobscot Theatre in Bangor. For tickets, call 942-3333.