William Inge's bittersweet 1953 drama "Picnic" is not an easygoing picnic for a Kansas town after a troubled drifter appears and women of all ages take notice.

Although the new revival at the Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre could be more subtle, it does give a visceral sense of how the enigmatic outsider disrupts this Norman Rockwell-evocative town's Labor Day picnic.

Hal Carter (Michael Leicht) is a handsome young man who is rough around the edges. He's polite and seems well-intentioned, but he also seems mysterious and potentially menacing. The town's inhabitants argue over whether Hal is a bad character or is a good guy who has suffered from bad luck. Either way, the ladies find him much more interesting than the conventionally wholesome men in their lives.

Helen Potts (Eva Sivan) is a mature lady who hires Hal to work around her house, for instance, and she enjoys her mildly flirtatious relationship with him. If Helen's neighbor, Flo Owens (Janise Whelan), is more suspicious, it's because Flo sees the effect that Hal has on Flo's daughters, Madge (Tiffany James) and Millie (Charlene V. Smith).

Hal's presence rattles everybody. There are arguments between Flo and her daughters; the now-tense neighbors Helen and Flo; the lovely 18-year-old Madge and the younger, tomboyish Millie; Madge and her steady boyfriend, Alan Seymour (Sean Mullin), when he notices that Madge has fallen under Hal's seductive spell; and middle-aged businessman Howard Bevans (Richard Peck) and his schoolteacher girlfriend, Rosemary Sydney (Pam Feldman), when she drunkenly dances with Hal.

When Inge has his small-town characters comment on how hot it is on this late summer day, it's truly an emotional weather report. This skillfully written play demonstrates what Hal's disruptive presence means for each of the other characters, and how he serves as a catalyst to bring out the submerged tensions in a peaceful town.

There's also rural-tinged humor in "Picnic," so it's not surprising that director Sherrione Brown and her cast indulge in it. This production really milks the country customs, however, and some of the performances tend to be as broad as the farm. That's why the play's subtle and melancholic aspects come across more fitfully here.

Fortunately, the principal actors all have fine moments and ultimately give winning performances. Among the steadiest performers is Janise Whelan, who clearly establishes Flo's maternal strength and the corresponding suspicion she has about Hal. Michael Leicht embodies Hal's dangerous charm; Tiffany James conveys the prim and proper Madge's temptation to walk on the wild side; and Charlene V. Smith gives a sense of Millie's awkward entry into the adult world.

Late in the play, there are late-night confessional conversations between Hal and Madge. These quietly intense scenes bring out the best in both Inge's play and the Spotlighters' production.

"Picnic" runs through Dec. 21 at the Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre, at 817 St. Paul St., in Baltimore. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. There is also a performance Thursday, Dec. 18, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18, $15 for seniors and students. Call 410-752-1225 or go to www.spotlighters.org.

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