Emotional ‘Clearing’

In the 1650s, the conquering English forces’ systematic efforts to banish the Irish populace to its country’s most harsh and desolate territory spawned the bloody cycle of rebellion and repression that has continued to the present-day “troubles.” In a handsomely performed historical drama, Theatre Banshee’s production of “The Clearing” at Burbank’s Gene Bua Theatre frames the origins of that conflict with persuasive insight and clarity.

Playwright Helen Edmundson skillfully condenses sweeping political currents into concrete ramifications for the peaceful residents of County Kildare, introduced at the outset in a state of short-lived idyllic innocence.

Back in England, after his successful Puritan uprising against the English monarchy, Oliver Cromwell elected to reward his armies and supporters with Irish land--evicting the current occupants in the process by force, if necessary.

Caught in the middle of the impending ethnic cleansing is Maddy (Leslie Baldwin), the Irish wife of an English settler, Robert (Eric Drachman). Her marriage is no guarantee of security: Cromwell’s “transplantation” policy applied not only to the Irish but to the English suspected of loyalty to the beheaded King Charles. As Robert tries to walk an increasingly narrow moral tightrope to maintain his estate, Baldwin and Drachman chillingly portray a heartfelt partnership rent asunder by evil circumstance.

The notably fine supporting ensemble includes Carolyn Palmer as Maddy’s delicate, ethereal friend who falls victim to English atrocities, Barry Lynch and Rebecca Wackler as the neighboring English farmers who picked the losing side in Cromwell’s war, and Andrew H. Leman, whose malicious English governor seethes with baleful sarcasm reminiscent of Peter Ustinov in “Spartacus.”

Good as these performances are, they don’t entirely eclipse the more formulaic aspects of Edmundson’s attempt to put a human face on historical events. The martyrs are pure saints, while poor Robert proves relentlessly craven at every step, affording little opportunity for complex internal conflict. The logical face-off between Robert and the underutilized Irish firebrand (Dan Harper), who also loves Maddy, never materializes, and even the compassionate Maddy opts for the seductive simplicity of pure hatred for her oppressors.

In the end, director Sean Branney ensures we understand that rigid mind-set is the culprit in all sides of these all-too-common ethnic conflicts, but more creative dramatic construction could add even more weight to the play’s undeniable emotional and political wallop.

BE THERE

“The Clearing,” Gene Bua Theatre, 3435 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends Sept. 13. $12. (818) 380-7135. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.