The "G-Man" in the title of Rosemary Frisino Toohey's new play stands not for an adventurous FBI agent but for the more down-to-earth occupation of garbage collector.

The big achievement of Toohey's Baltimore Playwrights Festival entry at Fells Point Corner Theatre is how it brings out the special qualities of a man in this seemingly ordinary profession.

Although the playwright has a tendency to telegraph her intentions through overly obvious dialogue, her heartfelt concern for the garbage man, Larry (Mike Ware), will be shared by audiences at this premiere staging by the theater company known as Uncommon Voices.

The play essentially gives us Larry's biography via his connections to some prominent female characters, notably a young woman named Lacey (Kara Turner), with whom he has just become romantically involved.

The connections also include the man's Mom (Dickens Warfield), who lives in a nursing home; a nursing home administrator, Mrs. Johnson (Jodie Phillips), who curtly goes by the rules; and his upwardly mobile sister, Diane (Jennifer Skarzinski), with whom Larry has a tense relationship.

If Larry is struggling with a poor self-image, it's partly because he knows that many people have a low opinion of his occupation. Plot revelations suggest why Larry has not climbed the same career ladder as Diane, and Toohey effectively dispenses biographical clues as needed.

Because Larry generally is wary of how people will respond when they learn about his job, he really treasures his one male friend, a bus driver named Jack (Pat McPartlin), whose working-class job and unpretentious personality provide Larry with the sympathetic company he needs.

It's understandable that the actors occasionally seem stilted, because much of the dialogue inevitably sounds forced.

Considering that the play has a terse 85-minute running time, it might benefit from a bit more conversational give and take in some scenes. More small talk would give these scenes a more naturalistic feel, and the thematic content could be woven through the banter.

Director Miriam Bazensky ensures that the numerous scene changes occur quickly in this uncluttered play about a garbage man. It's a decent play about a decent man.

"G-Man" runs through Aug. 9 at Fells Point Corner Theatre, at 251 S. Ann Street in Fells Point. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15, $13 for seniors and students, pay what you can on Thursday. Call 410-318-8895.

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