The effects of colonialism on Black Caribbean men are central to this ambitious but underwritten play

Whether she’s writing about undocumented workers at a Scarborough jerk restaurant (“Our Place”), a teenage slave living on a tobacco plantation in 1858 Virginia (“Truth”), or migrant labourers being exploited on a farm in Ontario (“The Christmas Market,” currently on at Crow’s Theatre), she shows deep concern and empathy for ordinary characters whose stories often go unheard.

Her latest play, “Moonlight Schooner,” is her most ambitious work yet. Unfortunately the historical drama — which premiered Wednesday in a Necessary Angel production, in association with Canadian Stage and Tarragon Theatre — still feels a few drafts away from completion.

After their ship crashes outside St. Kitts during a storm, sailors Shabine (Jamie Robinson), Timothy (Daren A. Herbert) and Vincy (danjelani ellis) find shelter in the spacious, airy home of Lyle (Tony Ofori) and his mother, Janine (Nehassaiu deGannes), perched high up in the hills of the island.

The three men, of different ages and backgrounds, intend to go back to their schooner, but it’s May Day 1958, a national holiday. Since they’re not needed anywhere, they let loose and buy colourful shirts, flirt with local women and sip drinks while watching a Calypso act.

Later that night, something happens that severs the delicate connection they made earlier on.

As in her previous works, Ambrose shows lots of affection for her characters. But they could each be more carefully drawn.

From the start, it’s clear that Robinson’s Shabine — whose name literally means “light-skinned Black man,” from the French term “chabin” — is our central character.

The eldest of the group, he’s married with four children. On the ship, he’s a bit of a loner, preferring the company of his notebook — in which he jots down poems and letters to his wife, Maria — to that of the other men.

In flashbacks effectively staged by director Sabryn Rock, Shabine interacts with his wife (played in drag by Herbert) and one of his children (Ofori). These scenes are lively and colourful.

One of the play’s central conflicts concerns Shabine’s relationship with another woman. Timothy has seen the two together, but Shabine insists he’s innocent of any infidelity.

A bit more clarity around this matter would help; as it stands, the plot point — which takes up a lot of the script’s 90 minutes — is merely confusing.

While the double casting of Herbert and Ofori in various roles works well (the two even get to sing a couple of duets), it seems strange that deGannes — the production’s only woman — is so underused. I’m not sure why her part is even included.

Ambrose’s most potent theme is the effect of colonialism on generations of Black men from the Caribbean. Early on, Shabine recounts a story of how he was swindled out of money from a scotch-smuggling operation. Later on, Timothy recounts a moving story about how his father, a once prosperous farmer, eventually found his crops weren’t as cherished as “royal export.”

It soon becomes clear that the eponymous schooner carries sailors who have no future in the countries they’ve left — Trinidad, Jamaica — and are sailing in search of better prospects. Even Lyle is considering joining the men on the boat.

The production fits nicely on the stage of the Berkeley Street Theatre. Shannon Lea Doyle’s set, evocatively lit by Raha Javanfar, suggests the metal of a ship eaten away by salt and rust, while a backdrop of dark blue curtains evokes the sea.

Thomas Ryder Payne’s sound design helps locate us in the Caribbean, and Des’ree Gray’s mid-century costumes tell us a lot about the characters’ class, age and professions.

The actors do their best with their slightly underwritten characters, some making their patois-filled dialogue more comprehensible than others.

The production is dedicated to the memory of actor Michael Blake, who was originally cast as Shabine but died in late summer. Considering his poise and innate understanding of language, it’s a shame we didn’t get to see him take a ride on this promising new script.