The present play being performed at Boulevard Ensemble Theater is "The Marriage of Bette and Bo," supposedly his most autobiographical play, in which he dramatizes his own family while focusing on his parents’ marriage.

Matt/Skippy, who represents Durang himself, acts as narrator and actor, the son of Bette and Boo, alternating as observer and participant in the drama, which affords him both objectivity and subjectivity. He also links together all the scenes, which are short and multiple. Paul Madden is fantastic in this dual role.

The cast is comprised of Bette, her parents and her two sisters, Joan and Emily; Bo and his parents, and a priest and a doctor played by the same actor. The story skips around in time covering about 30 years.

We see the lives of Matt/Skippy’s family as a series of flashbacks from his perspective as a college student. He often alludes to the literary characters in Hardy’s well-known pessimistic novels in his narrations.

Each character out of the 11 that are portrayed has a distinct personality with one or two prominent traits. Bette is obsessed with two things: having children and getting Boo to stop drinking. Boo is weak and pretty clueless but somewhat lovable nonetheless. Bette’s parents, Paul and Margaret, seldom communicate (he has had a stroke and has garbled speech), but she always tries to keep up a respectable front.

Their three daughters are all neurotic, but Emily, who thrives on guilt and apologies, a product of her Catholic upbringing, at least elicits our sympathy. Boo’s parents can best be described as one of those irrational pairings whose continued union (if one can call it that) is totally mystifying, but we’ve probably all met couples like that. No wonder Boo is clueless.

Matt/Skippy is sane - why not, he represents the playwright - but even he questions himself, wondering how he could possibly be, coming from his wacko genetics. The priest and the doctor do not fare well either. They are self-centered and formulaic, feigning understanding and caring.

The play runs through Jan. 2. Call 414-744-5757 for details.