With its season opener, "Gabriel," Walking Shadow Theatre Company sheds light on an obscure piece of World War II history. The British Isle of Guernsey, in the English Channel between England and France, was occupied by the Nazis. British author Moira Buffini's play details the difficulty of surviving that time, while introducing an element of magical realism.

At the start, Estelle (Lily Wangerin), a young child, uses ancient spells to conjure a hero to defeat the invaders. At that moment, her sister-in-law Lily (Miriam Schwartz) discovers a naked man (Ross Destiche) washed up on the beach. When he wakes up, he has amnesia, so it is unclear whether he is their savior or an additional threat.

The play successfully evokes the danger of those times. (Some Guernsey residents were sent off to concentration camps.) But the strong family of women at the center of the drama use wit as a survival mechanism, and there is a nice degree of leavening humor.

Director Amy Rummenie, co-artistic director of Walking Shadow, has wanted to do the play for several years. Her love of the script, and the long time spent contemplating it, show in the strong production. She nicely balances all the elements, and even at two hours and 45 minutes, the drama is edge-of-your-seat compelling.

The primary plot is a menacing game of cat and mouse between Jeanne, the family matriarch (Katherine Kupiecki), and the German commander (Wade A. Vaughn). They are well matched and their exchanges are frequently electrifying.

Kupiecki creates a strong woman, courageously committed to protecting her family. She effectively suggests the fear that underlies the character's bitter anger.

Vaughn is equally effective evoking the complex character of the Nazi officer, who has the heart of a poet, but still easily sends Jews to death camps.

Wangerin is charming, even as the young character is often annoying. Schwartz captures the obstinacy and fear of Jeanne's Jewish daughter-in-law. And rounding out the household, Janet Paone adds a nice bit of humor as housekeeper.

The final scene feels a bit rushed and abrupt, giving short shrift to the moral ambiguity of the ending. Nonetheless, the production is a captivating piece of thought-provoking romantic drama.

William Randall Beard writes about theater.