For a country founded on revolution, ours tends to be awfully leery of the concept. Americans who entertain thoughts of overthrowing anything here are typically viewed with intense suspicion, if not outright hostility.
That sure was the case for those who admired the Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union and hoped to see some of those values adopted here. People like Joe Joseph, the unseen character in Amy Herzog's fascinating play "After the Revolution," receiving its local premiere in a finely acted and directed production by Center Stage.
It's the first of two Herzog works being presented there this spring, both with autobiographical elements. The writer grew up in a family filled with Marxists, notably a grandfather who refused to name names when called before a congressional committee in the early 1950s.
Herzog drew on the legacy of that man, and the mix of pride and secrecy that surrounded him, to create the history-haunted "After the Revolution."
The era of communist witch hunts may have receded in the public consciousness, but we have hardly put aside all fears of hidden threats and nefarious plots, or eradicated all preconceived notions about people with certain affiliations (not to mention certain surnames and ethnicities). In this sense, "After the Revolution," written in 2010 and set in 1999, feels extra timely and edgy.
But the subtle force of the play is not confined to its ability to conjure up spicy political issues. This is, at heart, a good old-fashioned family drama that deals in fresh, knowing ways with what it means to be a parent, a child, a mate; how tricky it is to maintain genuine lines of communication; why it can be so easy to offend, so difficult to mend.
Although voices do get raised, this is a remarkably quiet work, one that unfolds at a natural tempo and reveals its many layers without a lot of heavy pushing. The result is an encounter with people who seem at once unique (you don't meet Marxists every day) and universal, with dreams and troubles that strike many a familiar note.
At the heart of the play is Emma Joseph (Ashton Heyl), a fiercely liberal young lawyer who establishes a legal fund in support of a former Black Panther on death row. Emma names the fund in memory of her grandfather, Joe Joseph, who never abandoned his communist convictions despite being blacklisted.
What she doesn't know is that he may not have been just a Soviet sympathizer, but an agent. That possibility jolts Emma deeply and ends up tearing at her bonds with family members and even her patient boyfriend, Miguel (Alejandro Rodriguez).
With an admirable ear for dialogue that rings true, Herzog draws you into a pretty heavy look at morality and philosophy that never turns didactic or dull.
Discovering the right thing to do "can be hard," says Morty (Peter Van Wagner), a wry donor to Emma's fund, "even for very bright, well-meaning people." Just as hard is having to face disappointment with family — "It's terrible, I know, but Emma, this is not an uncommon predicament," Morty adds.
The Center Stage production — with fluent direction by Lila Neugebauer and an efficient, if colorless, set by Daniel Zimmerman — features a telling performance by Heyl, who brings to Emma something of the nuances Claire Danes gives to another alternately sure and shattered character, Carrie Mathison on the Showtime series "Homeland."
Heyl is matched nuance for nuance by Arye Gross, who reveals the intensity and inner warmth of Emma's father, Ben, with great skill. He and Heyl do exceptionally touching work in the tense Act 2 scene when father and daughter finally meet to air out grievances (both come prepared with a written list, lest a crucial point be forgotten).
Susan Rome, as Ben's partner, and Mark Zeisler, as his brother are spot-on. Rodriguez is a sympathetic Miguel. As Emma's sister, who has issues of her own, Kelly McCrann overuses some angular hand gestures, but otherwise persuades. And Wagner softly and delightfully steals his few scenes.
Finally, there's the character of Vera, who was married to Joe Joseph and is unapologetically loyal to his memory (she is the focus of Herzog's "4000 Miles," which opens shortly at Center Stage).
With dignity and a nice little tinge of steel, Lois Markle makes Vera a compelling presence, nowhere more so than when she underlines her pride about the past: "You can't ever really know what it was like. You can … say we did this wrong or … that wrong, but the point is, it was for something. I look at most people your age … and I don't know what they're for."
If you go
"After the Revolution" runs through May 17 at Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St. Tickets are $10 to $59. Call 410-332-0033, or go to centerstage.org