Uneven Staging of ‘Philadelphia’

Irish playwright Brian Friel’s coming-of-age drama, “Philadelphia, Here I Come,” enjoys just the right dank physical texture at the Richard Basehart Theatre in Woodland Hills. This is not the Ireland of shamrocks, but of a tangled, damp village in County Donegal in 1965.

The production catches with moderate success the play’s tender, melancholy and occasionally raucous impulses. But this personal odyssey, set on the eve of a young man’s traumatic departure from Ireland for Philadelphia, is unevenly staged, and the production is undermined by a performance that gets out of hand.

Brogan Roche, as protagonist Gareth O’Donnell’s private, subconscious self (whom the other characters can’t see), is so out there with poses and stand-up routines that he detracts from the play. Director Ben Slack fails to rein in his talented but hammy excesses.

The young hero’s public persona is sensitively, even sweetly performed by Eamonn Roche (brother of Brogan). The girl he leaves behind is gently played by Susan McMartin (daughter of actor John McMartin, in her stage debut).

Ivy Bethune’s feisty housekeeper, Linda Gary’s brash Philadelphia aunt, and Stuart Lancaster’s morose and dour father contribute sturdy portraits. “Philadelphia, Here I Come,” Richard Basehart Theatre, 21028-B Victory Blvd., Woodland Hills, Wednesdays, Thursdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends Jan. 24. $12-$15. (818) 704-1845. R unning Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.