McPherson’s early plays were often driven by monologues–1997’s The Weir is his first ensemble piece. Still, it relies heavily on the actors’ abilities to make rambling tales seem simultaneously fresh and hardwired into the characters’ psyches. A rural Irish pub on a wet night provides the setting for an evening of ghost stories, which begin with fairies and end with real loss, told by four locals and a newly arrived Dublin woman. Christopher Prentice’s staging for Signal Ensemble Theatre features a note-perfect set by Melania Lancy and subtle, unhurried performances that manage to avoid the script’s occasional drunken-blarney cliches. Melanie Keller as the seemingly upbeat newcomer skillfully unveils her character’s troubled core, with grace and unblinking vulnerability. –Kerry Reid a Through 3/24: Thu-Sat 8 PM, Sun 3 PM, Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division, 773-347-1350, $10-$15.
