Ensemble Theatre Company (ETC) gives spring a jump-start with a high-momentum staging of Lucy Kirkwood’s “The Children,” directed by Jenny Sullivan and starring three esteemed actors all returning to the ETC stage: Linda Purl, Nancy Travis and Michael Butler.

Looking grief-stricken, Michael Butler sits on a window seat, and Linda Purl, sitting in a small chair, wraps her arms around one leg in a scene from "The Children," playing at the New Vic Theatre in Santa Barbara.
Actors Michael Butler and Linda Purl in a gripping scene from “The Children” playing at the New Vic Theatre in Santa Barbara. Credit: Zach Mendez

Out of the gate, the acting experience and power onstage is inarguable. Purl, Travis and Butler all convey a vivid maturity, tinged with hope and remorse.

Billed an “eco-thriller, bristling with chills and suspense” by The New York Times, the play is set in a rural cottage by the coast in the aftermath and just outside the highest impact zone of a nuclear disaster and tsunami.

And the power plant isn’t the only thing that melts down in this story.

Each of the three characters worked at the plant before the accident, and they have an intertwined history that bubbles to the surface when one pays an unexpected visit to the others, a married couple, after more than 30 years.

Lest you think a tale of nuclear apocalypse isn’t for you; know that dynamic interpersonal relationships, witty dialogue, juicy production values, and keen portrayals of humans making the best of a tricky situation capture and hold the attention.

Robin (Butler) and Hazel (Travis) have settled into a comfortable routine in isolation.

Since the disaster, no one can come visit, even though they are outside the worst-affected zone. The area has little power, either, so they also live outside the connected world of internet, smartphones, even television or radio to save energy.

Actors Linda Purl, left, and Nancy Travis, both smiling as they hold onto coffee cups, seem to share a laugh star in the Ensemble Theatre Company's production of "The Children" at the New Vic Theatre in Santa Barbara.
Linda Purl, left, and Nancy Travis star in the Ensemble Theatre Company’s production of “The Children” at the New Vic Theatre in Santa Barbara. Credit: Zach Mendez

Rose (Purl) arrives unannounced, and with a proposition, that she takes some time and build-up to reveal. Whether Robin and Hazel will sign up to be part of the plan is the source of much suspense and holds the key to the play’s title.

Kirkwood explores and elucidates the issue of what any generation owes to those that follow. In Rose, she gives voice to perspectives both magnanimous and ambivalent.

Set in a tiny residence interior, with glimpses of the gray world just outside their doors, the action mostly takes place around the kitchen table.

The designers of this production deserve applause simply for how much functional and visual information they pack into the scene on the intimate Victoria Street Theater stage.

With four doorways and access to the outside world on both sides of the stage, the space feels large enough to contain a lot of drama, humor and backstory.

Stanley thermos, Coleman lanterns and an old-style laundry sink share the set with a hand-crank radio, vintage child’s tricycle and a yoga mat.

A subtle soundscape of ocean waves evokes the seaside location of most nuclear power facilities, including the one at the center the play. Other simple sounds propel the plot forward: a phone ringing, a clicking Geiger counter, Al Green played through a laptop speaker.

The story’s climax is developed and expressed through lighting effects that by turns evolve and strike.

The writing, acting and production values all make “The Children” a worthy use of your time. Live performance rules!

“The Children” runs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. through April 23, with special performances on Tuesday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 15 at 4 p.m. at the New Vic Theatre, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara.

Buy tickets here, or call 805-965-5400.

Local arts critic Judith Smith-Meyer is a round-the-clock appreciator of the creative act.