Cast Is in Too Deep in Chapman’s Shallow ‘Bacchae’ : The production can be funny, but the young actors too often lacked the finesse to present needed subtle characterizations.

In Euripides’ “The Bacchae,” Dionysus, spiteful god of nature and pleasure, invades Thebes to challenge the behavior of lowly humans. Along the way, he encourages his fanatical followers to murder a prominent leader.

Against these events, Euripides lays out a striking range of ideas and concerns: the battle between the reasoning mind and the irrational act, the quest for civilized order amid a disruptive environment, the question of piety versus hedonism, the skeptical thought versus the religious impulse.

“The Bacchae,” 2,400 years old and still vibrant, clearly is a complicated piece. What’s the best way for a director to approach it? Purists would probably rely on the eloquent language, searching for meaning amid the poetry. Purists would probably be uncomfortable with Michael Nehring’s bold-to-gaudy staging that opened Wednesday night at Chapman University, where it continues through the weekend.

Nehring and his young cast have filtered “The Bacchae” through a “Mad Max” prism. It’s clumsy and annoyingly shallow at times, but it’s also funny, vivid and vigorous. The production may be more entertaining than enlightening, but it does hold your attention.

With the aid of Ted Lowe’s hodgepodge, neo-hippie costumes and Stacey Westbrook’s intense lighting, Nehring opts for visual sensations. His most striking touches (in what he describes as “a non-traditional, highly ritualistic style”) are reserved for the Bacchants, Dionysus’ sex-hungry devotees.

Their orgiastic movements (Nyla Newman’s controlled freak-out choreography is never less than passionate) and hypnotized celebration of Dionysus plays out the type of immersion unique to a cult. Dionysus is like the highest order of rock star, the heavy-metal-lead-singer-as-god come down to toy with his drugged-out, mainly female groupies.

Unfortunately, drama can not get by primarily on its looks. A main problem on opening night was the inexperience of the student actors. Many showed talent but too often lacked the finesse to present subtle characterizations able to plumb the depths of Euripides’ creations and make the visuals more resonant.

Paul Waddell’s Dionysus had something of the cruel god’s egotistical, sensuous guile but didn’t communicate the mystery or heavyweight substance needed to make the fanaticism understandable.

Dustin Milberg drew Pentheus, Dionysus’ adversary, as a bombastic, slightly paranoid ideologue. It was amusing to see his very political response to Dionysus’ manipulations and the Bacchants’ threat to Thebes, but essentially it was a limited performance.

‘The Bacchae’

A Chapman University production of Euripides’ tragedy. Directed by Michael Nehring. With Paul Waddell, Windy Bunts, Emily Delk, Dorothy Drysdale, Jolin Harrison, Kelliegh Holloway, Faith Jackson, Megan Lowe, Charla Mason, Heather Moore, Teresa Pond, Shannon Rossiter, Julia Stark, Stacey Tappen, Cynthia Teske, Kinga Van Pelt, Alex Brewster-Disarufino, Barney Ford, Dustin Milberg, Ted Lowe, Dave Dahl, Jon Garcia, Rocky Lane, Christopher Zinovitch, Steve Peirson, Roy Ping and Michelle Greere. Choreography by Nyla Newman. Set by Ron Coffman. Costumes by Ted Lowe. Lighting by Stacey Westbrook. Plays tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m. at 333 N. Glassell St., Orange. Tickets: $4 and $6. (714) 997-6812.