THEATER REVIEW : Holding Back on Tragedy : ‘The Pen,’ a play of sin and redemption, has plenty of teeth-gnashing but lacks passion.

Just as surely as there’s the African-American theater and the Mexican-American theater, there’s the Irish-Catholic-American theater, and Paul T. Murray’s drama “The Pen,” at American Renegade Theatre, is the latest example of it.

Latest might suggest new. But “The Pen” is an old soul of a play, born of a belief in sin and redemption, in the triumph of good over evil, and in a story having a beginning, middle and end. It’s also directed by Stephen Hastings with the almost-as-old belief in acting the Method Way. This is a barroom play with a lot of Scotch, and even more gnashing of teeth.

Old soul or not, though, it simply takes something extra in the ‘90s to swallow this mixed potion. At points, it appears that Murray or Hastings’ cast may provide it; but, in the end, nothing ever rises above the dusty “Playhouse 90” atmosphere.

And, in some ways, it isn’t up to that Method-driven tradition, the one that gave us “Marty” and “The Pawnbroker,” or the Irish tradition of Eugene O’Neill and Brendan Behan--two big shadows over “The Pen.” Irish-Catholic drama has always had a fortified sense of tragedy, and Murray seems far too hesitant to provide it here.

The story, set in the ‘90s, describes what happens to the denizens of Old Town Tavern, run by old Specs (Paul Vent) in South Boston, when veteran hood Gags (C.J. Bau) gets out of the slammer and returns to the neighborhood. Because of 10 years in the pen (one of the title’s double meanings), Gags has missed out on the local “yuppiefication.” It’s all too much for Gags’ protege, Jimbo (Charles Leon), who has picked up the crime life that Gags abandoned.

Jimbo is the classic character in this kind of theater, enacting the sin of the hero--Gags--and seeking redemption. Although Jimbo goes to great lengths to extol his mentor Gags, it becomes clear that Gags only wants to “be legit,” leading to inevitable conflict between the two.

Into this sure-fire formula for tragedy, Murray inserts Gags’ one chance for goodness: Jimbo’s mentally retarded brother, Stevie (Paul Gunning), who wants to do good but is seduced to do bad. (This is also how Murray’s characters describe themselves.) There’s no doubt that bad will happen here; but it’s doubtful that so much good is the result.

“The Pen” is a lot rosier than its aforementioned predecessors, which may suggest that the ‘90s are nicer than, say, the ‘50s. Or perhaps it suggests that there’s a lack of nerve to put a full-blown tragedy on display.

Or, that Murray really believes people can save themselves--a passion and conviction that requires more than this cast delivers. Too often, Leon as Jimbo appears to be doing his best Al Pacino number. But in any case, he doesn’t convey enough requisite street toughness.

His real match is in Taylor Phillips as his gal, Lisa, who wills a marvelous quality of energy into a cliche-ridden character. The cliches get the better of Vent as the run-down bar owner, Gunning as the sweet, clueless Stevie and Myra Turley as the bar’s bitter “alkie.”

Bau and Sunny Reale, as Gags’ old flame, deliver performances that are rich in back story and set off some palpable ghosts on stage. Those, too, are essential for the Irish-Catholic-American drama. You only wish that “The Pen” was a little less dusty, and a lot more haunting.

Where and When What: “The Pen.”

Location: American Renegade Theatre, 11305 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood.

Hours: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 7 p.m. Sundays.

Price: $10 to $12.

Call: (818) 763-4430.