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It is unintentionally fitting that the main setpiece in The Shakespeare in the Park production of "The Bacchae" is what appears to be an off-kilter set of bleachers. Meant to suggest a Greek amphitheater, I guess, the more apt association is a school where you'd find students experimenting with different theatrical forms and styles.

Of course what's on stage at the Delacorte Theater is not a student production. It's supposed to be professional, although talents aside, I have seen better work in school. Joanne Akalaitis's interpretation of Euripides's 2,500-year-old tragedy is an unfortunate mix of inconsistent direction and miscasting.

The story of Dionysus' revenge on his mother's family in Thebes is one of the most disturbing in Greek drama. Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry, wreaks havoc on the city after his relatives refuse to believe his divine heritage. His mother, Semele, was a mortal who became Zeus's mistress and died before giving birth.

Dionysus places the women of Thebes under a spell that turns them into wild worshippers of hedonistic desire. Among them are his own aunts, including Agave, the mother of the Thebian King Pentheus. When Dionysus tricks Pentheus into dressing as a woman to spy on the Bacchae, they turn bloodthirsty and, led by by Agave, rip him to pieces.

Yet what should be an emotional fireball is surprisingly bloodless, The chorus scenes featuring orange-clad harem girls are overlong accompanied by Philip Glass's disappointingly uninvolving music.

The performers are a clash of styles and abilities. They're abundantly talented, but none seem to be on the same theatrical page. Chief among them is Jonathan Groff as Dionysus, a fine actor but so wrong in the role, he might as well be playing Cupid.

The meaning of this work on a modern 21st-century audience is not easily discerned. Was Euripides chastising humans for denying their carnal nature? Was he critical of the gods for their cruel treatment of mortals or perhaps he was making a feminist statement? Whatever it is, I suggest you skip the show, read the play and ponder it over a hearty Merlot.