Opportunity Basted in ‘Family’s Affair’

That Jean Van Tuyle’s “The Family’s Affair” at the Knightsbridge is being billed as a comedy seems a misnomer. Van Tuyle’s new play does force a few anemic laughs--but they are of a cheap order, deriving from situations almost entirely contrived.

The basic plot is slight, the motivations meager, the sexual innuendo creaky. In a nutshell: A screenwriter sits passively in his apartment while colorful family members parade in. Some grouse about extramarital affairs they suspect their spouses are having. Others grouse more generally. None is expected. As soon as one departs, another comes roaring in the front door, ranting about his or her problems. When the writer incorporates their confidences into his latest screenplay, the whole crew gets miffed--that is, until they warm to the idea.

Not exactly a dynamic through-line. Add to that an uneven cast and a completely extraneous sub-story about the writer’s recovery from alcoholism, and you’ve got one prime butterball, ready for the roasting, which even the most determined basting by veteran director Jules Aaron cannot make edible. To their credit, Tim Woodward invests his cumbersome role with whimsy, Christian Lebano maintains the dignity of his superfluous character, and Rochelle Robinson is heroically acerbic in a thankless turn.

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* “The Family’s Affair,” Knightsbridge Theatre, 35 S. Raymond, Pasadena. Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. Ends July 11. $15. (626) 440-0821. Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.