‘President’ Delivers State of Disunion

In her new play “Frances and the President” at the McCadden, Julie Dahl displays a keen ear for deftly balanced, naturalistic dialogue that holds one’s interest for a good chunk of the evening. However, whether Dahl, who also directs, intends her play as a political satire, a family melodrama, a feminist diatribe or a Gurney’s-eye view of the Eastern seaboard elite remains unclear.

The action centers on the troubled Frances Welborn (Christine Burke), daughter of wealthy Republican Party luminary Henry (Nicolas Coster) and sister to Edgar (Danny Kon), a powerful and popular Democrat on the rise.

Politics are endemic to the Welborn circle. Edgar’s fiancee Josephine (Sibel Ergener) is also his campaign manager. Frances’ boyfriend Dennis (James Patrick Stuart) is the president’s personal secretary. And Frances? Carving her own niche in the high-profile Welborn tribe has left her confused. Very.

But not as confused as the audience. One of the few fixed points of Dahl’s desultory drama is Frances’ nearly unbearable quirkiness, exacerbated by the gamin Burke’s fidgety, Gidgety portrayal.

Solid acting by Coster, Ergener, and Stuart almost lends a sense of purpose to the perplexing proceedings.

* “Frances and the President,” McCadden Theatre, 1157 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends Jan. 26. $15. (213) 466-1767. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes.