From left, Terry Heck, Taras Michael Los, Mark Rademacher, Eva Rosenwald, and Sarah Ann Leahy in "Circle Mirror Transformation."

photo by Jude Walton | Courtesy of Performance Network

The thing that struck me every time I taught a creative writing class was how ready students were to write about, and thus reveal to their peers (and to me), some of the most painful and difficult parts of their lives.

The desire to plumb these defining moments and be understood by others seemed, for many students, to be substantial part of the class’ appeal. And the inevitable result of so much sharing was that the students quickly developed a level of familiarity with each other that was sometimes startling.

The handful of community ed drama students in Annie Baker’s “Circle Mirror Transformation,” now being staged at Performance Network Theatre, experience something similar, using the stories of their lives as material for theater games and exercises.

Marty (Terry Heck) is the well-intentioned, earnest teacher; James (Mark Rademacher) is her economics professor husband; Schultz (Taras Michael Los) is a lonely, recent divorcee and carpenter; Theresa (Eva Rosenwald) is a former actress who recently left New York, and a bad boyfriend, for Vermont; and Lauren (Sarah Ann Leahy) is a 16 year old who dreams of being an actress or veterinarian.

“Circle” is episodic in its structure, providing mere glimpses (theater exercises and games, student interactions during breaks, etc.) of the class’ six meetings. For this reason, the play is more character-driven than plot-driven, so there’s little in the way of momentum to push it along.

And while “slice of life” narratives certainly have the potential to be just as emotionally powerful as linear ones, they’re far trickier to pull off, and “Circle” ultimately feels undercooked. The nearly two hour, intermission-less play only dips its toe into the complexities of each person’s life, so none of them ever come fully into view - substantial questions are raised that are never answered - and thus the results, while occasionally moving, don’t add up to a wallop.

You also tend to wonder, during the scenes that focus on the silliest theater games - seemingly for no other reason than to provide a laugh - whether all the scenes truly earn their place in the script. Director John Seibert takes great pains not to short-change or rush through even the most drive-by scene, and the play’s moments of revelation are often affectingly staged; but one can’t help but feel that the direction is perhaps too reverent of the script for its own good.

These issues notwithstanding, however, the Network’s cast is sound, with the women delivering some of the most memorable moments on opening night. Leahy injects an appealing, if acerbic, brand of youthful, plainspoken energy to the production. Rosenwald exudes the easy confidence and grace of an experienced actress among beginners, making a brief role as a tree look artistically, ludicrously fulfilling; and Heck does good work as the patient, earth-mother instructor who’s surprised by her own journey of self-discovery.

Daniel C. Walker’s hardwood-floored, multi-purpose room set fits the bill perfectly, filled out with Charlie Sutherland’s props (note the loaded-up bulletin boards and eclectically stocked closet); and Walker’s lighting is on best display in the final scene, when what could be a tricky transition is visually clarified by a shift in the lighting and a small costume change (courtesy of Suzanne Young).

But this final scene once again points to “Circle”’s limitations as a play. A character says something that’s intended to have resonance, and send us back to the play's earlier events; but because we’ve only been afforded small peeks into the lives of these five people, it’s hard to feel more than a passing, general sense of wistfulness.

Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.