Eugene O’Neill’s “Desire Under the Elms” is a dark play about human nature, based on the Greek myth of Phaedra, about a wife whose seduces her stepson, causing tragedy to ensue.
Sting & Honey Company offers an ambitious, loving production of this rarely produced 1924 play — and that’s its largest problem. As directed by artistic director Javen Tanner, “Desire” showcases a fine set of actors who aren’t pushed to reveal their characters’ twisted hearts. These characters don’t allow us to make sense of the mythic nature of this story because the actors are, on the face of it, too nice.