There are as many different ways to look at Donna Hoke’s intriguing “Brilliant Works of Art” as there are to look at a brilliant work of art itself. And because Bellissima Productions is presenting the two-act dramedy in the Alleyway Cabaret, the view is guaranteed to be up close and personal.

That works well for Hoke’s themes, as the intimate space is perfect for the inevitable revelations of the characters’ intimate secrets. Scenery isn’t an issue: the focus is always on either Abby, Grant or James, shifting from one to the other — along with their own self-centered perspectives.

Abby (Zoe Goñez) wordlessly announces her intentions when she arrives on stage holding a Sugar Daddy sucker. She’s a law student with four roommates, in her mid-20s, and in need of tuition money. Enter Grant Parrish (Greg Howze), a well-off middle-aged financier with a wife, two kids and a desire for the kind of validation only a much younger lover can provide. 

They sit down for a cozy lunch while we in the audience are just a table or two away, silently sipping our drinks as they engage in a witty tête-à-tête over sushi. We listen in as a smiling, slightly condescending Grant begins schooling Abby in how to be a grownup. Abby is no slouch at negotiation; she reels in both the man and his money with her charming naivete. 

We are also charmed, first when Abby makes a slapstick dining faux pas and then when she misses a reference Grant makes to “The Godfather,” a movie that could have been made before her parents were born. The message: Boy, is he old!

Someone who isn’t old is James (Johnny Barden), one of Abby’s roommates. A classic struggling artist, he’s in a serious relationship with his ethereal muse while still having room for more physical yearnings in Abby’s direction. Their youth, proximity and hormones do the usual things and together they decide that they are in love.

From there Abby’s romantic adventures follow the inevitable trajectory expected of these kinds of parallel affairs. The values of trust and discretion are frequently espoused and just as frequently ignored, with “trust” taking a particularly rough beating. Still, we want to know how it all comes out. Otherwise, what is the use of all these secrets? 

The beauty of Hoke’s writing is in her reliance on detail and clarity. Abby might be personally confused but the audience is not. We are never guessing about what’s going on, so that leaves plenty of room for the complicated and contradictory emotional swings that all three characters are experiencing. None of these people are perfect, especially not the one who seems to think he is (Grant), but they are interesting, believable and totally human. 

Under the direction of Sabrina Kahwaty, Zoe Goñez, a SUNY Buffalo graduate, is impressive in her professional debut. We can’t help but be sympathetic with her Abby, whether or not we approve of her choices. Greg Howze is becoming so good at being devilishly seductive that it is kinda scary; and Johnny Barden, a very sharp actor, makes James appealingly oblivious to his position in this unacknowledged polyamorous grouping.  

The action is underscored by pop music artfully chosen by Kahwaty and Hoke, and the artsy torsos that occupy so much of James’ attention are credited to Leo Lysy of Buffalo Architectural Casting. With this gem of a production, Bellissima is continuing to expend its innovative range and deserves to be on any theater lover’s radar. 

“Brilliant Works of Art” has four more shows in the Alleyway Cabaret, 1 Curtain Up Alley: at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13, 14 and 15, plus a 3 p.m. matinee on Feb. 15. The price is right: tickets are $30; Saturday night is “pay what you can,” at bellissimaproductions.com.