Keely and Du

To say that Keely and Du is about abortion is like saying that Moby Dick is about a whale. The play’s Bible-believing pro-lifers suffer from tunnel vision, but they do not lack compassion. Meanwhile, the arguments for the right to choose abortion are offered up in all their painful complexity. Kelley Ogden makes use of a vast array of facial expression and vocal range to play the wild rollercoaster of Keeley’s emotions—most of the time while handcuffed to a bed. Du, as played by Sacramento veteran Shelly Sandford, gives a dignity to her fundamentalist beliefs. Tim Sapunor takes a soft touch with Walter to give his sense of entitlement (and occasional flashes of rage) come complexity. While most of the violence occurs offstage or in a stylized fashion, Keely and Du might be difficult for some people. But the production respectfully and honestly demonstrates how much we have to learn about ourselves from such violence.
Thistle Dew Dessert Theatre; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; $24. 1901 P St.; (916) 444-8209, www.thistle-dew.net. Through June 2.