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The play is James Goldman's "The Lion in Winter" and it is currently being presented at the Rialto Playhouse.

And, Arts and Entertainment Editor Bob Sokolsky notes, this can be a particularly challenging drama, one that can soar mightily when done well, shatter if handled in less than expert fashion.

Sokolsky says the production reaches neither of those extremes, but does come across notably on the favorable side. He gives special credit for that to Kerry Jones, calling her portrayal of Eleanor of Aquataine the possible outstanding performance of the season.

The rest of the cast members seem to stumble a bit in the early going but come across nicely once momentum is established. So does the intriguing story of an aging King Henry's efforts to find a successor to his throne.

All that, Sokolsky says, adds up to a Rialto Community Players presentation that "manages to do most of the right things at most of the right times."