A Familiar Story Told With Uncommon Skill

Exploring the difficulties of simultaneously coming of age and out of the closet may not sound like uncharted territory; nevertheless, it’s rare to find a play that treats the subject with the kind of clarity and precision we find in “What’s Wrong With Angry?,” making its U.S. debut at the Celebration Theatre.

The source for the film “Get Real,” Patrick Wilde’s drama chronicles the consequences that befall 16-year-old Steven Carter (Jeffrey Landman) in his narrow-minded hometown of Basingstoke, England, when he unexpectedly finds himself in a torrid affair with the boy of his dreams--the school athletic superstar, John Westhead (Dante Zappala). Their tryst is not only socially reviled, it is illegal (under Britain’s 1967 Sexual Offences Act). Although Steven has long since accepted his homosexuality, John’s self-discovery is recent and unwelcome, and their relationship founders on his ambivalence, self-loathing and fear of losing his social position.

With merciless accuracy, Wilde details the social forces arrayed against Steven--the sneers and bullying from his schoolmates (Daniel Hepner, Brian Weir), the alienation from his emotionally distant and uncomprehending parents (Gary Anello, Diane Witter), and the self-righteous meddling (with disastrous results) of a pompous headmaster (Brian Carpenter). Steven’s only allies are a sympathetic but ineffectual history teacher (Daniel Emmett) and a funny and caring girl chum (Cymbeline Smith) with identity issues of her own.

Be forewarned that this is an overwhelmingly single-issue play--there is barely a line of dialogue that strays from the topic of homosexuality. Steven is never tested by internal conflict, only by outside prejudice, which limits the dramatic potential. However, performances are committed and skillful, and Michael Michetti’s taut, unsentimental direction tames the potential for wallowing in some of Wilde’s rampant polemics.

* “What’s Wrong With Angry?” Celebration Theatre, 7051B Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. Ends Oct. 29. $22-$25. (310) 289-1999. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes.