While it’s not unusual to see a solid cast backed by a capable ensemble in a typical D.C. theatrical production, your average show probably is only going to deliver one or two magnificent performances. Clearly, Theatre Alliance’s production of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye is not your typical D.C. production.

One after the other, we see the members of this graceful group of actors offer remarkable turns, particularly by the show’s female contingent. The Bluest Eye tells the story of the tragic Pecola (the wild-eyed Carleen Troy), whose life is plagued by poverty and betrayal; she is raped by her father and left pregnant just as she reaches adolescence. In the play, we see the story not as much through her eyes, but through those of her childhood friends, Claudia (Erika Rose) and Frieda (Jessica Francis Dukes), who have witnessed the betrayal.

Often, when adults are called upon to play the roles of children, the result requires more than a suspension of disbelief. Not here — Dukes and Rose affect a believable rapport that drives the show, and Dukes even manages to transition convincingly into an adult role later in the production with remarkable ease. One of the most surprising things about a heavy work like The Bluest Eye is how funny it often is, and these two women deserve a lot of the credit for the show’s more humorous moments, though they are far from flippant during the demanding, weightier scenes.