Ashley Allison as Bertha and Bobby Haworth as Axel for the Fan Factory Theatre Company's production of Comrades: Photo by Dave Rossman
The Fan Factory Theatre’s brave staging of Comrades, an August Strindberg rarity, proves to be one of those productions that sound promising on paper but disappoint in the actuality of execution.

Under artistic director Jonathan Harvey, Fan Factory is a small group that has been producing shows on an occasional basis for the past decade. Results have been spotty, but sometimes of interest.

Last year, Harvey hit on the notion of an “August in August” series, celebrating Strindberg (1849-1912), the influential Swedish dramatist known for such dark classics as Miss Julie, The Dance of Death and The Ghost Sonata.

Following last summer’s program of short Strindberg works, the company now takes on Comrades. Written in 1888, the work is atypical as the playwright’s only comedy, yet characteristic in that it turns on his signature theme, conflict between the sexes.

Axel and Bertha are Swedish artists living in Paris and experimenting with bohemian marriage. Though they fancy themselves very modern and unaffected by conventional notions of marriage, their actions quickly prove otherwise. Highly competitive, they sort through ill feelings over which of them gets a painting accepted in a salon exhibition. In the process, their own expectations and instinctive lapses into hostile role-playing unravel their model modern arrangement. Though Strindberg often has been called a misogynist, in fairness it must be pointed out that he makes the obtuse and chauvinistic hero every bit as overbearing as the defensive and demanding heroine.

Axel, Bertha and members of their arty circle trade views on gender roles and what constitutes correct behavior. Yet, somehow, while the underlying issues remain relevant, the chat at its smartest seems only vaguely naughty or mildly bold. We get faint echoes of the bitter bite of the mature Strindberg, à la Dance of Death, but even in this play’s weightier confrontations, the characters seem to be fussing over trivialities.

That Comrades never quite lands in this rendition may be partly due to the tricky aspects of experiencing in English translation works created in another language. This translation was crafted in 1912 by Warner and Edith Oland — and yes, Warner was the Swedish-American actor later to become famous for his movie role as Charlie Chan. In terms of how the lines play to today’s audience, one can only guess how nearly the choices of this translation convey Strindberg’s original mood and intent.

A larger shortcoming, alas, is the rendition itself. It just doesn’t make that strong a case for the play. Co-directors Harvey and Miranda Herbert have set their production in 1950s Paris, but the production conveys no strong sense of time or place. Nor do the staging and performances generate much conviction in the material, nor cohesiveness in the playing style.

Bobby Haworth is relentlessly aggressive as the petulant Axel, more or less a one-note portrayal. Ashley Allison’s manipulative, self-deluding Bertha generates a shade more sympathy, despite some confusion handling the role’s abrupt reversals. Best among the large featured cast is Katie Basch, who manages some saucy moments as a friend who provides more trouble than support.

Though isolated moments stir interest through sheer energy or bursts of volume, the general sense of the production is of “going through the motions” rather than a natural affinity for the content.

But that’s one of the harsh realities of live theater. Ambitious intent alone does not guarantee the desired results.

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Comrades
Obsidian Art Space, 3522 White Oak
8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays through Aug. 13
Tickets: $15; 832-413-1607