Fiona Robberson, Laura Jorgenson, Shannon Kearns-Simmons star in “Easter” at Undermain Theatre through May 14. (Ashley Randall/ Undermain Theatre)

“It’s Easter and we must suffer.”

There is an appropriate stiffness to John Arnone’s white set that has taken over the Undermain Theatre’s basement stage for the current production of “Easter.”

One of August Strindberg’s less often produced plays, this solemn adaptation, by Michael Myer, captures the haunting formalities present in the themes of betrayal, suffering and mercy.

This timely production (opening just one week before Easter) is the story of the Heyst family, still paying for the sins of their imprisoned father. Elis (David Goodwin) the stalwart son, is engaged to marry Kristina (Shannon Kearns-Simmons), whom he is unsure he can trust.

But then again, who can you trust in a world that seems filled with criminals?

The line between desolate reality and unwarranted anxiety is blurred, as Director Katherine Owens allows the family’s distorted, guilty psyche to play out in a sort of visible and mental omnipresence of every character.

Arnone’s set is made of white, translucent screens through which we can see Fru Heyst (Laura Jorgenson) as she works in the kitchen, and upon which the shadow of Lindquist (Bruce DuBose), the family’s creditor is shown whenever Elis speaks of him.

DuBose’s sound design adds the appropriate sound effects and transitions, allowing the script to fully come to life.

It is this amalgamation of the production elements that brings to life this interesting, astute mounting of Strindberg.

When Elis’ young sister Eleonara, in a poetic performance by Booker T. Washington student Fiona Robberson, arrives home from the insane asylum in a surprisingly calm state, a sense of dread overwhelms the play. Will she revert to her mental illness? Is she truly better?

Add these questions to the already troublesome relationship of Kristina and Elis, the crime the family has inherited, and Fru Heyst’s inability to confront the issues and the atmosphere is suffocating.

When DuBose arrives on the scene as the ‘ogre’ of a man, Lindquist, Goodwin allows his pride and his pathos to collide, making the climax that much more moving.

The acting in this play is exceptional, from Dan Schmoker’s adorable portrayal of Elis’ student Benjamin to Jorgenson’s fretful, yet tender Fru Heyst.

Owens’ has crafted a play that allows the somber atmosphere to fully seep in before offering the ultimate solution.

Catch this moving, elegant production of “Easter” through May 14. Visit undermain.org for more information.