On Aug. 1, 2007, the Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis collapsed. There was no earthquake or natural disaster; the bridge's structure simply failed to hold the weight of the rush-hour traffic.

Thirteen people died and 145 were injured. Writer Allison Moore, a Minneapolis resident, takes that catastrophic bridge collapse, which coincides with the rather shocking national economic collapse, and gives them identifiable personal reference points in her new comedy that's not surprisingly called "Collapse."

What is surprising, though, is how Moore and the assured new B Street production, which opened Sunday night, find an honest poignancy in the often glib script.

It's not that Moore takes the events lightly; she doesn't. The playwright bases her story on a fairly logical reality of the bridge collapse, the trauma a survivor would likely suffer and have to deal with.

In this case, it's Jason Kuykendall's David who is driving his car on the bridge before suddenly finding himself in the Mississippi River, fighting for his life as water rushes up around him. Kuykendall brings just the right amount of haunted skittishness to the role as his character now fights fears of heights and an inability to connect with his ardently helpful wife. Elisabeth Nunziato's anxious Hannah wants David to join a support group so he can regain his self-confidence.

Into their fraying world comes Hannah's sister Susan, whose life shows even more cracks than David and Susan's marriage. Having lost her job and been evicted from her apartment, Amy Resnick's crumbling Susan seeks solace at her sister's home.

The gifted Resnick appeared in the play's world premiere production at Berkeley's Aurora Theatre earlier this year. Here she brightens the production with priceless physical and facial comic touches.

The final member of the ensemble is Adrian Roberts' circumspect Ted, whom Susan inadvertently encounters at the support group meeting she wanted David to attend.

Moore creates an unlikely community of farcically flawed people in this quartet of broken characters, but shows how there's honest hope and redemption available, as well.

Catherine Frye and Myke Kunkel have created a clever, simply functioning set that takes us from Susan and David's condo to the upper reaches of the bridge.

Laura Baker and Buck Busfield direct the gifted ensemble, getting knowing, comic performances and moving poignancy from all four actors.

Moore smartly paces the action and lets her charming story play out efficiently.

COLLAPSE

3 1/2 stars

What: A B Street Theatre Mainstage production

When: Continues at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, 2 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 5and 9 p.m. Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays through July 24.

Where: B Street Theatre Mainstage, 2711 B St., Sacramento

Cost: $18-$30, $5 for student rush

Time: 90 minutes, without intermission

Information: (916) 443-5300, www.bstreettheatre.org

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Call The Bee's Marcus Crowder, (916) 321-1120.

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