Put on a football jersey and paint your face? Go Bills! Dress up like a schoolgirl and have pretend tea parties with another guy? What is WRONG with you?

In a world where some costumes are considered perfectly normal and others are not, playwright Sean Abley wonders why. He explores that question, and others, in his intriguing new play, “Tea Party,” onstage now in the Allendale Theatre, presented by First Look Buffalo. 

“Tea Party,” in the broader view, is about identity and acceptance, and could have been written as a comic romp (e.g.. “Tootsie”) or an edgy drama (“M. Butterfly” perhaps?).

Mostly, though, Abley takes a more direct route through this complicated territory. His characters are down-to-earth and straightforward: a married couple, an old friend, a new neighbor.  The four actors here keep it natural and casual, making it easy to believe that what you see is what you are going to get.

As it turns out, even in isolated northern Montana, everyone has secrets. 

The couple, Frank and Gayle (Andrew Zuccari and Kaylie Horowitz), are eking by while waiting for Gayle’s worker’s compensation claim to come through. The claim apparently is a least partially suspect, since the two live in fear of being caught out by insurance investigators. 

Gayle’s outlet from the stress is girls-night small-stakes card games. 

Frank’s main escape is emptying six-packs in front of the TV with his lifelong friend Justin (John DellaContrada). It passes the time, but Frank knows there’s something missing his life, something besides money. When a new guy in town advertises a club for men who are “clothes curious,” Frank decides to check it out.

Oliver (Bob Rusch) is unlike anyone Frank has ever met. Recently divorced, he has created Miss Olivia’s Finishing School for Girls, an intricate role-playing venue for straight men. Despite Frank’s initial uneasiness, he realizes that transgenerational cross-dressing is what has been missing in his life. At Miss Olivia’s, he can be himself. His other self. 

The comfortable set design by Sarah Waechter facilitates the story’s back and forth, with Oliver’s living room on one side of the stage and Frank and Gayle’s on the other. The scenes, sharply directed by Lara Haberberger, flow without interruption, keeping us dynamically invested in all sides of the emotional roller-coaster of revelations that follow.

“Tea Party” never preaches and rarely argues. We share the uncertainty of the characters as they try to figure out their way forward through their uncertainties. 

It turns out that each one of them is afraid of some kind of exposure, and each is hoping not to be judged for being who and what they are. Even at its silliest points, the story never loses its authenticity. We care what happens. 

Does Abley wind up answering the question of why society judges some people as acceptable and others as not? 

Maybe. More likely, though, is that he wants the audience to answer the question for themselves. 

………..

“Tea Party,” presented by First Look Buffalo, continues through Oct. 5 at the Allendale Theatre, 203 Allen St. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27-28 and Oct. 3-5. Tickets are $30; $20 for students and seniors, at firstlookbuffalo.com. 

You can also sign up at that site for email notifications of upcoming shows and ticket discount offers. First Look, now in its third season, is dedicated to the production and development of new plays by established and upcoming writers.