Opening the 21st Season (they’re finally able to legally drink!) at SpeakEasy Stage Company is Geoffrey Nauffts’ Tony award-nominated play, Next Fall. With a cast chock full of talent tackling some incredibly engaging issues, Next Fall was a stellar (and seasonally appropriate) kickoff to the season.

The central plot unfolds in a hospital waiting room where those close to Luke (Dan Roach) have gathered after he has been hit by a taxi. Those present include his boss Holly (a spot-on Deb Martin), ambiguous friend Brandon (Kevin Kaine), partner Adam (Will McGarrahan), and divorced parents (Robert Walsh and the incredible Amelia Broome). Interwoven with this narrative are flashback vignettes chronicling the history of Luke and Adam’s tumultuous relationship over the last several years.

Luke’s strict Christian beliefs (particularly regarding the afterlife) are in direct conflict with Adam’s lack of spiritual belief system, creating the central conflict of the piece. Nauffts tackles this from many angles, from Luke’s “not out yet” relationship with his family to the uncomfortable act of praying after sex with Adam. The portrayal of a gay protagonist struggling with what he perceives as his inherent sinfulness may sound like a negative stereotype from a cautionary film of days gone by, but is uniquely recontextualized by the other beautifully realized characters and situations.

While the story was incredibly compelling, the package it arrived in was much less so—the writing was rather unfocused at times. In a play with only six characters, I should not leave the theater wondering what the purpose of an entire character was; but unfortunately this was my takeaway regarding the character of Brandon.

This stellar cast more than made up for any gripes I had with the playwright. Everyone was in top form, but special praise is due to Amelia Broome and Deb Martin. Ms. Broome, always a delight to watch on stage, walked a beautifully accurate line of a southern woman coming to grips with the secret of her son’s homosexuality which she’s always known but never acknowledged. Her performance was incredibly true to life, and the monologue she delivers in the hospital chapel during Act II was particularly moving. Ms. Martin, as the boss-turned-best-friend of Luke and Adam, brought a special depth to the often one-dimensional stereotype of the gay man’s best female friend (while maintaining an appropriate amount of sass, of course).

Janie Howland’s inventive set blurred the lines between the past and present, becoming both the living room of Luke and Adam’s apartment and the waiting area outside Luke’s hospital room. The lighting design by Karen Perlow was effective at defining multiple spaces on the same set.

In retrospect, what began as a play I honestly did not care for has grown on me greatly. I highly recommend seeing this captivating production before it closes on October 16. The opportunity to see such talent assembled on one stage should not be missed!

Dan Roach and Will McGarrahan share an intimate moment in Speakeasy Stage Company’s production of Next Fall.