“Measure for Measure” is one of William Shakespeare’s problem plays and the current production at Glendale’s A Noise Within doesn’t quite resolve those problems, making this comedy a somber affair with an uncertain ending.

Problem plays, according to F.S. Boas, writing in his 1896 book “Shakespeare and his Predecessors,” attempt to examine social and moral problems. Boas defined three of Shakespeare’s comedies as such: “All’s Well That Ends Well,” “Measure for Measure” and “Troilus and Cressida.”

“Measure for Measure” features a strong female character, Isabella, whose virtuous nature contrasts the sexual looseness of the city. She is, however, helpless to save her brother from death and must depend upon a man, to help her. “Measure for Measure” is supposed to be a comedy, but the tone is generally dark and in this production at A Noise Within, the setting is more the present among the suits of businessmen and the tone is more tragedy than dark or black comedy.

The duke (Robertson Dean) of Vienna, hands over the administration of the government to the virtuous Angelo (Geoff Elliott) because he is leaving the city. While in power, Angelo sentences Claudio (William Patrick Riley) to death for the act of fornication. In this case, it means having sex and impregnanting his fiancee Juliet (Courtney Kocak). Claudio was waiting for her dowery and is willing to marry the lass, but Angelo feels a crime has been committed and the punishment must be given.

Claudio’s friend, Lucio (Stephen Rockwell) asks Isabella (Karron Graves), a postulant nun, to plead with Angelo on Claudio’s behalf. Angelo is moved, but not in his heart–it’s regions farther south that rise to attention. The deal he wants: Isabella’s virginity for Angelo’s life. This might begin to sound like a country song.

Isabella refuses and yet her brother wishes she would agree to Angelo’s indecent proposal. Certainly, by today’s standards of morality, if Isabella weren’t a wanna-be nun, the weight of the request might be hard to comprehend. Yet remember that in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” Juliet tests Romeo to see if he is serious by requesting marriage. In “Much Ado About Nothing,” Claudio refuses to marry Hero when he is fooled into believing that she has been unfaithful to him.

Luckily for Isabella, the duke did not leave the city. He is lurking about, disguised as a friar, and he contrives to fool Angelo into sparing Claudio’s life. Angelo was engaged to a woman, Mariana (Jill Hill), but when her dowery was lost, Angelo was no longer interested in marrying her. When Angelo believes he’s sleeping with Isabella, he is actually the victim of bait-and-switch. And yet, fooled as he was, he orders that Claudio be put to death.

Of course, the duke will return and set things right.

While directors Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott set the play in the present, in a place that isn’t particularly Vienna, and Stephen W. Gifford’s scenic design and Julie Keen’s costume design concentrates on a world devoid and bright colors save for a splash of red, the choice to glam up the prostitutes seem to contradict the conceit of moral morass. That part of this interpretation doesn’t veer into the the PG-13 area that the Peter Hall production at the Ahmanson did a few years back. The prostitutes look more Victoria Secret and there’s no nudity.

Does the duke get the girl? In many productions, the end has the duke and Isabella holding hands. Not so here. And there seems to be little chemistry between Dean’s duke and Graves’ Isabella so the suggestion of the duke’s affection comes as a surprise. There’s no happily ever after it seems and this play is, in this production, more tragedy than comedy. Set in the present, that makes sense, considering the dark economic forecast and even, according to news media, the trend toward women looking toward prostitution as a desperate career choice.

The question is, however, if you’re in a financial fix, do you really want to see a tale about troubled times? If you haven’t seen “Measure for Measure,” this production is worth seeing although I don’t feel the problems inherent in this play were adequately resolved.

“Measure for Measure” continues until 5 December 2010 at A Noise Within, 234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale. (818) 240-0910.