THEATER REVIEWS : ‘Alone Together’: Heavy on the Fluff : The Westminster Community production takes the low road in a story of adult children returning to the nest. The sitcom style and antics render the whole meaningless.

Lawrence Roman’s mid-’80s sitcom “Alone Together” had some serious things to say about the then-new trend of grown children returning to the nest. A decade later, economics have made it even more serious.

In his production at Westminster Community Theatre, director Edward J. Steneck plays down the serious side and allows his cast to revel in the sitcom mode, which not only unbalances the text, but makes it all look a little meaningless.

George (Tony Grande) and Helene (Beth Titus) have seen the last of their three sons off to college and are ready for some prime-time fulfillment and a little foolin’ ‘round.

Before they can get off the starting line, son Michael (Jon Dolton) returns from a high-paying position at MIT, his poor little insecure tail between his legs. Then son Elliot (Walter DuRant) drops in, tossed out by his wife.

To complicate things in the sitcom manner, a freewheeling young woman (Victoria Allison), sent by college-bound Keith (Joe Hollinshead), arrives to rent the remaining bedroom.

There is comedy, to be sure: the sugarcoating Roman uses to get his audience to swallow his sociological pill.

But no one in the cast has taken much time to development a full, honest characterization, the depth that makes even the lightest of comedies come to life. They skim along the surface of the script like it was so many episodes of “Ozzie and Harriet” gone awry.

When Roman gets around to the serious stuff in Act II, actors and director are at a loss. They haven’t laid the emotional foundations in Act I.

Physical shtick and goofball antics do a disservice to Roman’s script. Light as it is, there is more there than there is on the Westminster stage.

* “Alone Together,” Westminster Community Theatre, 7272 Maple St., Westminster. Friday and Saturday, 8:30 p.m., Sunday, June 5, 2 p.m. Ends June 11. $7-$9. (714) 527-8463. Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes. Tony Grande: George Butler

Beth Titus: Helene Butler

Joe Hollinshead: Keith Butler

Jon Dolton: Michael Butler

Walter DuRant: Elliot Butler

Victoria Allison: Janie Johnson

A Westminster Community Theatre production of Lawrence Roman’s comedy. Direction/scenic design: Edward J. Steneck. Costumes: June Steneck. Producer: Jennifer Boudreau. Stage manager: Adrienne Bartee.