Can one bad element ruin a play? Whether it be problems with acting, direction, set design or script, a missing piece can certainly cast a shadow on the work as a whole. But what if it’s merely a single poor performance? After seeing Didactic Theatre’s production of The God Of Hell, now playing at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, DCist would argue that while this isn’t enough to write off an otherwise fine work, it certainly can make many a scene uncomfortable for the viewer.

Sam Shepard’s The God Of Hell stars Frank (Colby Codding) and Emma (Adrienne Nelson), a Wisconsin-bred dairy farming couple who have taken in their friend Haynes (Christopher Carroll) after he fled from his hush-hush job doing research for the government in Colorado. Hayne’s behavior is strange and reclusive from the start, and his visit is quickly followed by the arrival of an intrusive “salesman” (or is he?) known as Welch (Matt Howe). Welch starts by offering Emma American-flag paraphenalia, but quickly betrays a suspicious interest in the couple’s house and its secret inhabitant.

It’s when Howe comes on the scene where things get problematic for Didactic’s production. Granted, the character isn’t a likeable one – he’s smarmy, he’s stifling, and he shifts into full-fledged villain mode by the play’s conclusion. But Howe’s performance is so flamboyant and unrealistic that it has no real place in this largely naturalistic production, and grates with every appearance. It’s not charming enough to be slick, and isn’t sinister enough to be chilling.