PLAY

Picnic (Roundabout/AA, 227 W. 42, closes Feb. 24). A very strong revival of one of the least sufficiently appreciated American dramas of the 20th century, back on Broadway for the first time since 1994 in a production that fully conveys its beauty and power. If, like most people, you know William Inge’s once-famous plays only from their buffed-up screen versions, you’ll find Sam Gold’s sensitive staging to be a revelation. No, Picnic isn’t a big-budget Hollywood soap opera: It’s a plain-spoken portrait of small-town life that manages at the same time to be both critical and sympathetic (TT).