‘The Goat Or, Who Is Sylvia?’ now at Gloucester Stage Co.

GLOUCESTER – Edward Albee’s fast-moving tragicomic 100-minute play “The Goat Or, Who Is Sylvia?” begs a lot of questions.In contrast to Albee’s Tony-winning “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” – a drama about people who think they are trying to be funny until their awful secret is revealed – “The Goat” is about people who have really funny reactions to a shocking revealed secret until the revelations eventually lead to something horrifically climactic.It was obvious during Sunday’s talk-back section that people were still processing this funny and ultimately overwhelming play, which won a Tony during the New York theater season that followed September 11.Award-winning, high-profile architect Martin and his attractive wife Stevie have a perfect marriage and a perfect life together. They accept the fact that their 18-year-old son, Billy, is gay – and Billy is ready to give a talk in one of his classes about what good parents they are.However, Martin has a secret that could ruin everything. During a TV interview Martin confides to a family friend, Ross, that he is cheating on Stevie – with a goat. Fearing that Martin’s life and career could self-destruct, Ross writes Stevie a letter and in the crockery-smashing confrontation that follows Stevie learns that the relationship is not just physical – Martin loves the goat as much as he loves her.During the first three scenes Albee confronts the audience with an uncomfortable situation and uses classic adultery-drama dialogue to let them laugh off their tensions. In the last scene that release dissipates as Martin tries to come to an understanding with his confused son, Billy, confronts Ross and finally realizes the impact he has had on Stevie. The play ends with Billy calling out for his parents – and for broken relationships that will never be the same again.Anne Gottlieb takes Stevie on a convincing downward spiral from loving happiness to shock, betrayal and in the end a much darker place. Robert Pemberton makes Martin a successful man who can’t understand how wrong he is. They both have the sensitivity to treat comic lines as throwaway lines.As Billy, Jesse Rudoy reveals a talent for asking unanswerable questions as he plays an 18-year-old boy trying to protect his mother, then understand his father. Dennis Trainor Jr.’s Ross is the catalyst that gets the play moving – and Trainor sounds convincing as he explains his primary reaction to Martin’s affair: how will it look?”The Goat Or, Who Is Sylvia?” will run through Aug. 23 at the Gloucester Stage Company, 267 East Main St. Performances are at 8 Thursday-Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday, with a Saturday matinee at 3 p.m.If You Go?Ticket prices are $37 for adults and $32 for seniors and students. Reservations and further information are available at (978) 281-4433 or www.gloucesterstage.org.