Do you ever eye someone suspiciously when they tell you they suffer from allergies (or irritable bowel, or ADD), and just always seem to be sick? You might find yourself in similar company with Lisa Kron (Emily Ackerman), who just doesn’t understand why some people seem to get well and some (like, for example, her mother) don’t.

Kron’s play, Well, isn’t just a play, it’s an autobiographical exercise that just seems to keep getting away from her. Her mother (Nancy Robinette) keeps interrupting the action to tell her version of events; her castmates are more sympathetic with said mother than her, and a ghost from her past (Donnetta Lavina Grays) keeps literally popping up on stage to butt into the proceedings.

It all makes for a very nontraditional night of theater, and that’s a very good thing. Ackerman is an enjoyable guide, particularly because she’s so relatable — her frustration with the proceedings is palpable, her “outer monologues” are hysterical. Robinette, always stellar, can grab the room with a knowing smile, and Ackerman has a versatile supporting cast backing her up, each juggling multiple roles as the action goes on.

Well‘s strengths are in its spontaneity and its character development. In just a short time, we learn of her mother’s intriguing backstory as a de facto town activist, almost insanely committed to the idea of racial integration. We get a fleshed-out picture of the complicated relationship between mother and daughter, and even a few satisfying glimpses into the personalities of the supporting cast, who are supposed to be just mere actors but keep getting drawn out of their personas.

Some jokes are relied on a bit too heavily at times, and the play stretches a bit long to require no intermission. But Well is stuffed with amusing, unpredictable scenarios and offers a balanced treatment of the ideas it explores.

Well runs through Oct. 14 at Arena Stage. Tickets are available online.

Photo by Scott Suchman, courtesy Arena Stage.