Fathers and sons are a tough matchup.
Playwright Conal Creedon tackles their communication challenges in his double bill of one-act plays, "After Luke" and "When I Was God," playing off-Broadway at the Irish Repertory Theatre through Sept. 20.
Set in contemporary Cork, Ireland, each story delineates timeless, complicated dynamics between sons and their fathers.
"After Luke" centers on the lifelong competition between two brothers, who argue over issues ranging from childhood pocket money to adult financial disagreements that threaten to shatter family ties.
Their well-meaning father, Dadda (agreeably played by Colin Lane), attempts to make peace between them, unwittingly favoring one son over the other while striving for fairness.
Gary Gregg affectingly portrays the older brother, Son, a capable mechanic of somewhat limited social skills, while Michael Mellamphy delivers a sly turn as the manipulative, selfish but lively younger brother, Maneen.
"After Luke," ends quietly, rather than serving up the expected bang that seems inevitable from prior events.
However, "When I Was God" is satisfyingly action-packed, at times even turbulent.
In this touching play, Mellamphy superbly ricochets among three roles, portraying a soccer referee during his last pre-retirement game, the same referee in youth -- from age 10 into his teen years -- and the ref's mother during his boyhood.
You'll not forget the sight of Mellamphy as Mother, comically but forcefully marching around her irascible and wrong-headed husband (Gary Gregg) as they repeatedly argue over the boy's future and safety in sports.
Tim Ruddy directs the action tightly on a flexible, minimal set by Lex Liang. Creedon's writing impressively conveys that the impact of fathers, for better or for worse, resonates throughout their sons' lives.