HOLLAND, Mich.–Honesty is often considered the heart of any good relationship. But Michael Perlman’s new play At the Table makes it painfully clear that even among longtime friends honesty can be a bitter pill.  Especially since most people have difficulty being honest with themselves about who they are, what they really believe and why they behave as they do.

Exit Left, a new theater alternative in Holland, had fun with a debut of the play Thursday for about 25 guests in a 50-seat space at Brew Merchant. The mission of the year-old theater company is to present shows that initiate discussion and that’s a given with At the Table.

The story takes place around a dining room table and nearby sofa as a diverse group of 30-somethings gather for their annual friendship retreat sans phones, internet or social media. Stuart (Liam Loomer) is the self-professed “jerk of the group” who is embraced by his friends despite his tendency to dominate the conversation and push controversial topics like abortion. Chris (Alexandra Reynolds), the director of a women’s rights group, is a newcomer to the party invited by her longtime friend Elliot (Jamie Colburn), a brooding gay man who gets more depressed as he drinks. These three, along with single dad Nate (Lake Wilburn), form the white majority of this circle of friends. Providing a little racial diversity are Lauren (Akia Smith), a bubbly black woman who is dating Stuart and acts as hostess by doing dishes, making beds, and tending to everyone’s needs, and Nicholas, (Leslie Alexander II) a gay black man Lauren invited to fix up with Elliot.

In the beginning the dialogue sounds like a series of Facebook posts spouting opinions from slavery to marriage equality. But before long the discussion delves deeper. Do men even have a place at the table discussing abortion? And for that matter does anyone deserve an opinion about a life experience they cannot share? Does someone betray their race if they try to get along? And is there any right answer for straight men of white privilege?

So much controversy could easily become tedious but the playwright has added plenty of humor and changes up the dynamic as members of the group wander off stage leaving assorted different pairings on stage.

The party room at Brew Merchant makes an elegant black box theater with padded silver seats on risers for the audience. The hardwood floors, brick walls and chandeliers provide a warm basis for the home setting dressed up with a mantel, bar, and furniture. Director Richard Perez makes good use of the space, props and hallway exit so it never feels like the characters are just sitting around doing nothing. Although the facility has limited lighting grid, technical director Justin Dreyer did a good job of creating a low light bedtime effect.

All the cast members portray their parts so believably that sometimes it feels like they are just ad-libbing and speaking from the heart.

The second act returns to the same friendly gathering a year later when some relationships have changed and more characters and diversity have been added including Sophia (Levana Wang), an Asian love interest for Stuart, and Leif (Michael Lison), a bisexual. Of all the characters, Lauren undergoes the most transformation. Smith deserves extra kudos for handling this difficult role without getting overly maudlin.

Not surprisingly, after two hours of discussing the world’s problems, At the Table offers few answers other than mining ever deeper for those hidden threads of honesty.

Click here for show days, times and details.