THEATER REVIEW — The Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati proves the worth of its name with "The Seafarer," the Conor McPherson drama now on stage.

The story is yet another take on the archetypical Faustian motif, but that matters less than the storytelling and characters that populate Sharky's rumpled Dublin home. The story itself is a little weary by this time, the subject having been explored hundreds of times, dating back to the earliest days of literature, and apparently neither "Damn Yankees" nor "The Devil and Daniel Webster" were the last words on the subject.

So the joy of "The Seafarer" is not in the surprises of the script (there is a twist, but a rather lame one, if you ask me), but in the presentation and in the performances turned in by the five-man crew under the direction of D. Lynn Meyers.

The play opens on Christmas Eve and the morning after a homecoming celebration for Sharkey, who has just returned from a driving job in which he apparently had a dalliance, or possibly just a flirtation, with his boss' wife.

Although Sharky's on the wagon, the others take a bit of the hair of the dog before making their holiday rounds of the local pubs, setting the stage for a traditional Christmas Eve game of poker. Sharky's prospective son-in-law Nicky joins the game in spite of Sharky's protests, and brings with him a well-dressed stranger who knows quite a bit more about the brotherly trio than they are comfortable with. None more than Sharky, who apparently shared a jail cell with the stranger some 25 years earlier. And the stranger apparently holds some kind of marker that is about to come due - although a friendly game of poker could resolve the debt.

Although the story centers on Sharky and his debt, "The Seafarer" is a true ensemble effort.

Adrian Sparks makes his return to the Cincinnati stage in a big way as Sharky, the Irish brawler with a drinking problem and a few dark secrets in his past.

Joneal Joplin, a familiar face to local stages having worked with ETC in "Copenhagen" a few seasons ago and in many Playhouse productions, does a fine comic turn as Sharky's blind brother Richard, also a fan of stout and whiskey, and a well-practiced player of the sympathy card.

Chicago-based actor John Librizzi makes his area debut as Ivan Curry, a friend caught in a dilemma: He's afraid to go home and face the wrath of his wife, but the longer he stays out on his binge, the angrier she's going to get.

Brian Isaac Phillips, the artistic director of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company who first came to town as an ETC intern, plays Nicky, the hot-headed youngster of the group. Sharky hates him, but probably only because he's just like him.

And Dennis Parlato, New York-based but a frequent ETC contributor, plays the polished stranger and holder of secrets. His smooth manners are a fine contrast to the rough-and-tumble crew.

It's watching the sparks fly among these veteran actors that makes "The Seafarer" a fine night of theater.

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how to go

WHAT: "The Seafarer" by Conor McPherson

WHERE: Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, 1127 Vine St., Cincinnati

WHEN: Through Nov. 2

COST: $29-$38

MORE INFO: (513) 421-3555; www.cincyetc.com