When Navy Probes One of Its Own

You’d think that anyone’s willingness to put his or her life on the line for the rest of us would be enough to earn our unqualified respect and gratitude. Unfortunately, the reality of military service is more complicated, as “Burning Blue” makes tragically clear in a soul-searing staging at the Court Theatre.

Based on author D.M.W. Greer’s experiences as a U.S. Navy pilot, the play chronicles the witch-hunting atmosphere surrounding the investigation of suspected homosexuals in the days preceding the uneasy “Don’t ask, don’t tell” Clinton-era compromise.

The dawning recognition of his repressed sexual orientation spells big trouble--both personal and professional--for dedicated career officer Lt. Daniel Lynch (Michael J. Reilly, double-cast with Andrew Halliday). A single indiscretion--dancing at a gay nightclub during a drunken shore leave--brings Lynch face-to-face with a lifetime of self-deception, and triggers a relentless inquisition by a latter-day Javert, Naval Investigative Services agent Cokely (William Sadler).

Even more chilling than the deceitful, invasive and abusive tactics employed against Lynch and his friends is the ease with which his persecutors suspend their own humanity--a transformation economically depicted in a few pivotal beats by Cokely’s more humane partner (Robert Gossett) as he dons the “bad cop” role for the opening interview.

John Hickock’s inventive and meticulously detailed staging makes extensive use of sound engineering and flexible sets to shift rapidly in time between drab interrogation rooms to aircraft carriers to apartments and hotel rooms. Tracing the diverse threads of the case through this deconstructed jumble becomes a far more committed search for truth than Cokely’s politically motivated inquiry.

That truth unfolds in a heartbreaking love story that rends the fabric of a deep friendship between Lynch and a trio of fellow pilots (Mark Deakins, Tim DeKay and Martin McDougall). Michelle Azar and Katy Boyer add nuance and balance as women competing with the testosterone overload in their men’s careers.

As in all great theater, precisely delineated performances ground the story in compelling personal terms. Greer’s dialogue churns with authenticity and conviction, though Lynch’s second-act self-analyses are occasionally heavy-handed and redundant--these actors have done their work so well that little explanation is necessary.

Extensive nudity--de rigueur in gay-themed plays these days--is used to better than usual thematic and outrageous comic effect but runs the risk of alienating viewers who would potentially benefit most from this eloquent treatment of a complex problem. In Greer’s tough-minded assessment, the additional pressures of being gay can have fatal consequences in an already stressful occupation--and that won’t change until private bedrooms become off-limits to the baleful scrutiny of political agendas.

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* “Burning Blue,” Court Theatre, 722 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends March 8. $22.50-$30. (888) 566-8499. Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes.