Two couples are compelled to face the truth of their lives in Butler Little Theatre's “Vino Veritas.” From left are Grant Allen Clark, Rachel Frank, Megan Flannery and Ben Roth. Michael Dittman/Special to the Eagle

With biting wit and emotional depth, “Vino Veritas” at Butler Little Theatre delivers an evening of theater that asks what would happen if you had to tell the unfiltered truth to the people closest to you.

Under the focused direction of Katie Moore, this dark comedy by David MacGregor strikes a balance between laugh-out-loud awkwardness and emotional intensity, all while peeling back the layers of relationships and the lies and fears that drive them. “Vino Veritas” doesn’t offer easy answers, but it provides a night of darkly funny theater that lingers after the final lines are spoken.

The plot unfolds on Halloween, as two couples gather for what should be a fun, lighthearted evening of drinks and costumes. But when they sample a mysterious Peruvian blue wine, said to compel absolute honesty, their lives and relationships begin to unravel in unexpected ways.

The play taps into the frustrations of the upper middle class, the lies both big and small that they tell each other every day, and the desperate need to maintain appearances in their personal lives.

Megan Flannery and Ben Roth anchor the production as Lauren and Phil, a couple whose ugly bickering relationship evolves over the course of the evening.

Flannery’s performance as Lauren is a standout with an impressive ability to use her strength as an actor to pull the sometimes didactic plot along. As Lauren’s relationship with Phil unfolds, we start to see the fear and insecurity that have been propelling their interactions all along.

Phil, as played by Roth, is a benign doofus whose comic timing and lighthearted demeanor shift as the night progresses. His descent from humor to vulnerability is skillfully portrayed.

Rachel Frank and Grant Allen Clark round out the cast as Claire and Ridley, an overachieving couple whose seemingly perfect relationship masks deep currents of resentment beneath the surface.

Frank, as Claire, evolves from a cheerful suburban mom to a woman confronting uncomfortable, painful realities. Her performance adds gravity to the play, making her character’s eventual breakdown tragic.

Clark plays Ridley as a know-it-all with a dry intellectual edge, delivering his character’s harsh truths with precision.

Ridley, the one character who abstains from drinking the wine, eventually helps to reveal layers of deceit and regret that none of the others can avoid.

“Vino Veritas” is a bold choice for community theater, but the players are able to lift the script’s tendency to veer into preachiness as it grapples with the weight of its themes.

The chemistry among the four actors is palpable, and Moore’s direction ensures the pacing stays tight, keeping the audience engaged in the dialogue-heavy production.

As the characters in “Vino Veritas” are forced to face raw truths, the play leaves the audience contemplating the cost of honesty in our own lives. What would happen if we could no longer hide behind our carefully constructed social facades? Are we ready for the truth, even when it shatters everything we thought we knew? As the wine is poured, the performers make it clear that the truth, no matter how ugly, is the one thing we can never outrun.

“Vino Veritas” completes its run with showings at 7:30 p.m. through Saturday, Sept. 27, at Butler Little Theatre, One Howard St. in Butler. Tickets can be purchased at butlerlittletheatre.com.

The show runs about 90 minutes with a 10-minute intermission and contains adult language and themes.