Delivering in imperfect pitch

America likes to categorize, assigning people to whatever group they appear to most resemble: conservative or liberal; religious or secularist; sports lover or arts patron; straight or gay.

Humankind, however, is infinitely more variable than such classifications allow, and labels often divide more than they unite. Richard Greenberg’s “Take Me Out” -- about the repercussions of a sports star’s declaration of sexual orientation -- grapples with these arbitrary divisions. It’s a messy and challenging play, but it raises provocative issues. As it reappears in the Southland, in a presentation by the Old Globe, it stirs these issues anew.

The production is entirely different from the one presented by the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles in the fall, the key difference being that the Old Globe version has been staged by the play’s original director, Joe Mantello, who won a Tony Award for the Broadway presentation. The work on view in San Diego, however, feels less substantive than the production that Randall Arney staged at the Geffen.

Crowned by stadium lights and scoreboard, Scott Pask’s set affords simultaneous views of that American temple known as the ballpark, as well as its inner sanctum, the locker room. In sometimes blunt, sometimes subtle ways, behavior in both areas shifts after a powerhouse baseball team’s star player casually announces his homosexuality. A pal on the team goes out of his way to indicate acceptance. Another teammate makes a derogatory remark, igniting an uproar. His closest friend, the star of another team, feels affronted.

The derogatory statement finds its parallel in pitcher John Rocker’s remarks about gays and minorities in a 1999 Sports Illustrated article. The brouhaha over a gay player in the major leagues can be associated with the tempest after the New York Post in 2002 published rumors about the presence of a closeted player among New York’s Mets.

More than anything, though, the play reflects Greenberg’s passion for baseball, and in the rhapsodic speeches given to the financial manager who works for the newly out star, the playwright describes the sacred status that baseball enjoys in American society.

Intriguingly, the story’s would-be hero is difficult to admire. Everything comes easily to Darren Lemming, who plays for a fictional team known as the Empires. He feels a sense of entitlement and is used to getting his own way. (For similar examples see last season’s Lakers.) He is so out of touch that, ultimately, he can’t see that his declaration of sexuality has created as deep a divide in the locker room -- not to mention the American public -- as his teammate’s bigotry.

The presentation originated with co-producer Seattle Repertory Theatre, with Mantello directing a different cast than in his original staging. The San Diego transfer was overseen by associate director William Joseph Barnes.

Somewhere, somehow, something went wrong.

Whereas the actors in the Geffen production appeared to have built their characters from the inside out, here, the portrayals feel plastered to the surface. True, Greenberg writes with a sometimes heavy hand, and in rushing to make certain points he has relied upon the shorthand of stereotypes. Whatever the reason, richness and complexity have been sacrificed for the broad gesture and the big laugh.

As Darren, M.D. Walton wears a grin that signals his amusement at -- and his elevation above -- people around him. It’s a nice touch, but it’s just a brushstroke in a picture that feels incomplete. The same is true of Doug Wert’s performance as the teammate who shows the most support for Darren. Though Wert serves as principal narrator, his clunky phrasing and inflection make him sound disconnected from the story.

As the financial manager, T. Scott Cunningham movingly orates Greenberg’s baseball speeches but otherwise inflates his gay mannerisms in what seems a bid for laughs. A more complex portrayal is delivered by Harlon George as the emotionally damaged ballplayer whose pitching skill thrusts him suddenly into the spotlight, setting the stage for his ill-considered comments. Placid at first, he reveals a simmering core of frustration and rage.

Sound effects, used as aural punctuation, are artful if a bit too gimmicky: the blasts of music that introduce certain characters or scenes, or the jolting thud of the stadium lights being switched on or off. The same goes for the symbolically abrupt lighting contrasts: from the glare of ballpark lights, for instance, to pitch darkness.

This production no doubt will spark strong reaction, particularly the front-of-the-stage prominence of the nude shower scenes. And Greenberg’s issue-packed script -- touching on everything from civil rights to diverse manifestations of faith -- will spark spirited debate. But the important thing is: People will talk. And that can be the first step toward casting away labels and embracing similarities.

*

‘Take Me Out’

Where: The Old Globe, Balboa Park, San Diego

When: 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays

Ends: Feb. 20

Price: $19 to $55

Contact: (619) 23-GLOBE or www.theoldglobe.org

Running Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

M.D. Walton...Darren Lemming

Doug Wert...Kippy Sunderstrom

T. Scott Cunningham...Mason Marzac

Harlon George...Shane Mungitt

By Richard Greenberg. Director Joe Mantello. Associate director William Joseph Barnes. Set Scott Pask. Costumes Jess Goldstein. Lights Kevin Adams. Sound Janet Kalas. Stage managers Bret Torbeck and Leila Knox.