Belfast troupe unmasks ‘Middle-Aged White Guys’> Production scheduled to run through July 6

The 1990s are not such a great time to be a middle-aged white guy in America. You get blamed for all the wars, all the woes and all the basically bad thinking that has gone on since very close to the beginning of time. You’ve been selfish, irresponsible and arrogant. Political misdemeanors, environmental disasters and the shameless oppression of women and children are all yours. The only thing left to do is face up, brother. You owe the world a damn big apology.

At least, that’s what playwright Jane Martin says with her play “Middle-Aged White Guys,” which the Belfast Maskers opened last week and will perform through July 6. Martin’s opinions are unflinching as she presents three brothers who hold a reunion to enact a “sacred trust” in honor of R.V., a woman one loved, one married and the other simply enjoyed for a one-night stand under the stars.

Though dead, R.V. shows up for the reunion and reveals that the men have been chosen to lead their pale-faced population to redemption, to wipe out “the white flu” before it wipes out men, and to make the proclamation: I AM SORRY. To reinforce the idea, their deceased mother also shows up and wields her mighty arm in reprimands about the shortcomings of her sons. And, as if that weren’t enough, the King himself — Elvis Presley — makes an appearance. He done wrong when he was alive, and now he means to enlighten middle-aged white men about rightfulness and grace.

Martin’s script is shameless in its acerbity. She is unsparing and decisive about her position. That, no doubt, will offend many audience members. Mostly, the story is entertainingly witty, intelligent and daring, and director Robert Hitt has worked all those qualities to good effect. At times, however, the writing gets unhinged by fantastical situations, and that can be awkward. But Martin’s general thesis — about responsibility and effectiveness — will strike a few familiar chords with most baby boomers.

As the brothers, Larason Guthrie, Brian Ross and Peter Conant are near-perfect with comic timing and character development. These are guys everyone knows in one form or another — whether a politician, a wheeler-dealer, or a slightly crazed Vietnam vet. At the end of the play, the men have to strip down to their birthday suits as a purification step for a kind of million-man march to the Washington Monument. The audience is well-prepared for this full-frontal moment, which takes place in subdued lighting and passes quickly. But it’s worth mentioning — in particular for those who are in the habit of taking young people to shows.

Venita Robertson, who plays R.V., is snakish in her portrayal of a hard-living dead woman, and evangelistic in her mission to right historical wrongs. Tracy Lord is completely unleashed — and rather hilarious — as a two-timed wife. Charles Oldham is a scream as the King, and Avery Stone is dutifully unabashed as the mother.

With very few exceptions, these cast members toss themselves entirely and meaningfully into their roles, and the result is an even, high-quality community production that is both provoking and fun.

Of major importance is David McLaughlin’s set design depicting a dump, where the “sacred trust” takes place. McLaughlin, a found-art sculptor, has collected just about everything you could ever want to throw out: old tires, the front-end of a VW Bug, bottles, furniture and even the kitchen sink. It’s a set that complements the actors and gives them a sturdy setting in which to work out a sometimes raucous plot.

In addition to the 80-minute (no intermission) performance of “White Guys,” the Maskers also present Martin’s 15-minute two-man play “Pomp and Circumstance” about the power relationship between an artist (in this case a composer played by John Gelsinger) and a patron (a king played by Dennis Harrington). Ruth Gelsinger provides the musical accompaniment of 18th century music. No less entertaining a performance than the featured work, this show makes some pertinent statements about the politics surrounding the arts. John Gelsinger sings with sweet clarity, and Harrington is pure amusement as a king with a wicked addiction to computer games and an unglamorous approach to power.

The Belfast Maskers will perform “Pomp and Circumstance” and “Middle-Aged White Guys” 8 p.m. Friday-Sunday through July 6 at the Maskers Railroad Theater in Belfast. For tickets, call 338-9668.