Caitlin McWethy, Angelique Archer, and Patrick Phillips Photo courtesy of Clifton Players

The catalyst for this swift two-act show is Jessica, an adopted, biracial young woman, who pays a visit to Marla, her Evangelical Christian birth mother, and Marla's ultraconservative family in rural Missouri. Jessica claims to be working on a documentary, but that's mostly an excuse to learn more about her roots.

In a program note, Camblin confesses that "this play is loosely autobiographical." She adds, "My intention is to put the painful hilarity of my personal journey out into the world in hopes of opening people's perspectives, softening hearts, and making the hard line drawn in the sand a little less hard." Camblin has pursued this intention with sharp, almost savage comic writing.

The cast of eight Cincinnati-based actors are frequently seen on other stages around town, especially Cincinnati Shakespeare and Ensemble Theatre. Angelique Archer plays Jessica in a naturalistic manner, thoughtful and probing, a tad guarded because this family is so different from her liberal Jewish adoptive parents.

The action swirls around Marla, Jessica's birth mother, played by Clifton Players Artistic Director Carol Brammer. She's a bundle of nerves because her family knows next to nothing about Jessica. Marla is both eager and wary regarding what's likely to happen when they meet her first child, who was given up for adoption. And with good reason. Husband Gary (Crowley) is a racist, MAGA Republican; flighty and shallow daughter Fran (Caitlin McWethy) is almost ready to give birth; angry son Peter (Patrick Earl Phillips) is an aspiring tattoo artist whose pride and joy is a recently acquired rifle. The group scenes are chaotic riots of one-liners, especially a game night during a thunderstorm punctuated by tornado warnings and power outages when charades completely disintegrate. Occasional one-on-one interactions are more heartfelt and revelatory, especially when Peter confesses to Jessica a desire to break away from the family for artistic pursuits.

Brammer's Marla repeatedly seeks solace in knee-jerk Christian fundamentalism, focused on a small statue of Jesus whom she refers to as her "Lord and Savior." Several more characters enter the action: Donovan (Justin McCombs), Fran's silly, effeminate husband, who's main focus is musical theatre; and Constantine (Kyndra Jefferies), Marla's longtime, motor-mouthed Black friend, a social worker who knows more about Marla's past than the family. Darnell Pierre Benjamin delivers pizzas and a few revelations toward the end of the second act.

There are a lot of laugh-out loud moments in The Guest, almost too many at times. Archer's low-key presence as the often overwhelmed Jessica is the eye of a storm, surrounded by people who are largely caricatures, amusing but essentially one-dimensional. There are lessons to be learned about being loved, appreciated and seen, but this dark comedy tips firmly in the direction of explosive laughter until its painfully dark, borderline unbelievable conclusion.

Clifton Players has staged The Guest on the first floor of the Liberty Exposition Hall in Cincinnati's Northside neighborhood. It's a small space, accommodating audiences of fewer than 50. Most of the action unfolds and disintegrates in a mundane living room, but an adjacent kitchen (apparently a real feature of this level of the building) provides some variety, as does a makeshift "basement" room where Peter has mounted his treasured rifle on the wall.

I especially appreciated several scenes that felt genuine. When McWethy's Fran does a confessional makeover with Archer's Jessica, it felt honest. Later, a conciliatory exchange on a park bench between Archer's Jessica and Jefferies's Constantine after the family's game night explosion had a solidly human flavor. The authentic emotions expressed in these moments felt far more real than much of the surrounding comedic action.

The Guest, produced by Clifton Players, runs through February 8, 2025, at Liberty Exposition Hall, 3938 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati OH. For tickets and information, please visit www.cliftonperformancetheatre.com or call 513-813-7469.