Bal Masque, currently being staged impressively by Theater J, says very little with enough flourish and wit that we barely notice the offense. But it also loses some of its flair when it moves away from the mildly mundane concerns of the exceedingly rich and succumbs to soap opera-worthy twists intended to shock.

The story takes place just hours after Truman Capote’s infamous masked ball of 1966, a social event even members of high society went to desperate lengths to attend. In the first act, we are eavesdroppers on an artfully-constructed display of ennui. Social climbers Trey (Jeff Allin) and Greer (a delightfully arch Brigid Cleary) have nothing good to say about the night’s festivities, and at times even less kind words for each other. Leaving the characters masked for the first part of the act is an intriguing device that initially distances us from this pair of witty, resigned co-conspirators. Their petty challenges become epic, such as a dramatic journey to retrieve a few cigarettes from the room of a sleeping maid.