When Johnny Came Questioning Home ‘Almost Home,’ About Vietnam, Debuts at the Acorn Theater

When the stage lights go up at the Acorn Theater on Harry Feiner’s set for Almost Home, a dingy Bronx apartment kitchen in 1965, every prop looks period-perfect. As the play unfolds, Michael McDonald’s costumes and Quentin Chiappetta’s subtle but evocative sound design prove just as commendable. So do the performances by the impressive cast, as directed by Michael Parva. Jonny Orsini (of The Nance) plays Johnny, a Marine and former boxer, back from Vietnam, deciding his professional path, alternating between certitude and self-doubt. As Johnny’s father, Harry, a World War II veteran, Joe Lisi (an actual former Marine) blends cantankerousness with glimpses of a vulnerability stemming from combat memories. As Johnny’s mother, Grace, Karen Ziemba (a Tony winner for Contact) conveys a resilience that has survived, despite a onetime beating from Harry. Brenda Pressley brings sensible backbone to Johnny’s former teacher, Luisa, who encourages his dreams of a higher education. James McCaffrey oozes blithe corruptibility as Nick Pappas, a police detective who wants Johnny for the force. So why does Almost Home disappoint? The fault lies in the script, by Walter Anderson, a Vietnam veteran and former editor in chief of Parade, making his debut as a playwright.