When brooding Sharky Harkin prepares to endure a night of booze and poker organized by his older brother Richard and his alcoholic friends, he thinks putting up with one of those friends, Nicky, will be the worst of his problems.But his luck takes a turn for the worst when Nicky brings along a mysterious stranger named Lockhart, and Sharky realizes his soul is on the line.”The Seafarer,” a dark comedy set in a shabby Dublin home on Christmas Eve, opened at Baton Rouge Little Theater’s Second Stage last weekend.The play has five characters: Sharky and Richard Harkin, Ivan, Nicky and Mr. Lockhart and centers around their fateful poker game.Lockhart says, “Time slows down in a card game.” And the first act was like playing cards.”This play is all about the little moments,” said David Coley, the play’s director. “The first act is naturalistic … It provides a slice of life. The big challenge is to bring all that out and make it interesting.”Written by Conor McPherson, “The Seafarer” premiered in September 2006 before being performed on Broadway the next year and receiving multiple Tony Award nominations.The play starts slow, with little or no action in Act 1, focusing   mainly on establishing each of the five characters.”At first glance, I don’t think you get everything from it,” said Joshua Phillips, who plays Nicky, Richard’s friend currently living with Sharky’s ex-girlfriend. “It’s about the relationships between the characters and the interconnectedness of everything.”Combine the initially ponderous pace with the actors’ thick Irish accents, and boredom is a strong possibility.”It’s difficult for the audience to get used to hearing it,” said Keith Dixon, artistic director.But just when the play seems to be merely a long string of mundane occurrences, tempered only by constant drinking and swearing, Act 1 ends with the promise of action — Sharky realizes he stands to lose more than money in the poker game.The second act is much more engaging than the first, and the tension onstage keeps the audience glued to their seats.”As I read the play again and again, I saw that there were a lot of interesting people in this show. You can see who and what made Sharky who he is,” said Kevin Harger, who plays Sharky.Dave Besse III delivers the show’s best performance and only convincing brogue as Richard Harkin, Sharky’s blind, aging brother.”As it developed, I realized my character is really frightened … he’s not an ogre,” said Harkin.And all the characters are more complex than they seem.Chuck Davis, who plays Ivan, said he was drawn to his role because of this complexity.”The scenes between Lockhart and Sharky have visually evocative dialogue,” he said. “The play is so interwoven … all of the elements are important.”The conservative-minded might be disturbed by the pervasive strong language, but the play’s message is ultimately a religious one.”It’s not meant to be theologically sound,” Coley said. “It’s an evocative tale of good versus evil.”The struggle for Sharky’s soul, which culminates at the end of the second and final act, provides some of the most enlightening and profound moments in the play.”Richard is sort of an intercessor, indicative of the fact that we’re never going to make it on our own,” Coley said. “It’s other people who can save us and look out for us.”Despite the lengthy exposition, “The Seafarer” is an interesting tale about the struggles of ordinary men and the ways seemingly unrelated events can bring people together.  Performances will be held tonight through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. on Sunday.”You have four human beings who are connected in a strained, broken way,” said Harger. “We all have to support and help each other, and that’s what this play is about.”Follow Elizabeth Clausen on Twitter @TDR_EClausen.____Contact Elizabeth Clausen at [email protected]