Piece on Williams Pales Next to His Plays

Despite a long succession of sexual encounters, playwright Tennessee Williams remained an untouchable, solitary figure throughout his sadly self-destructive life. In his fictional biography, “Tennessee in the Summer,” Joe Besecker hit on a novel way to give his subject some onstage company--splitting Williams’ character into male and female halves to represent different facets of his character.

It’s a serviceable device for illuminating some of Williams’ deep-seated conflicts--his callous promiscuity versus his yearning to recapture his lost goodness, for example. Having established the dichotomies early on, however, the play never traces an evolving dynamic between the two halves.

Fortunately, fine performances by Jack Heller and Kay Lenz in this Egyptian Arena Theatre revival keep the tension from becoming fatiguing. Through a succession of snapshots spanning 1935 through 1972, Heller’s increasingly derelict, self-pitying artist strikes sparks against Lenz’s sultry decadence (recalling Maggie of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” fame).

Williams’ life and art also converge in the versatile supporting cast, as Louise Robbins-Davis invests his institutionalized sister Rose with the shattered delicacy of Laura and his mother with the resolute self-delusion of Amanda, both from his autobiographical “The Glass Menagerie.” Robert Standley brings passion and heartbreaking poignancy to the role of Williams’ much-abused longtime companion, Frankie Merlo.

Robert Burgos’ handsome staging pulls no punches in its frank depiction of the open homosexuality that made Williams an object of vilification. Nevertheless, the play never attains the tragic stature it seeks--as a meditation on a psyche too fragile to cope with the world, the story of Williams’ tawdry life pales in comparison to the eloquence of his plays.

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* “Tennessee in the Summer,” Egyptian Arena Theatre, 1631 N. Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood. Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 and 7 p.m. Ends Aug. 2. $15. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes.