A nephew 30-years estranged dashes to his aunt’s home after she write a letter declaring she’s on her death bed. White-haired and seemingly mute, the old woman doesn’t seem quite ready to die and the nephew gets a bit impatient.

“I’m concerned about your health these last few days; it seems to be improving.”

Director/writer Morris Panych’s “Vigil,” an American Conservatory Theater production presented at the Mark Taper Forum has a few surprises to this seemingly routine formula. The dialogue is wickedly dark and delivered with a barrel of bitterness.

The old lady, Grace (Olympia Dukakis), says very little while the nephew, Kemp (Marco Barricelli) rants about his unhappy life. His rotten parents were more worried about the cat missing than their son and neglected the niceties like Christmas stocking stuffing and presents. His mother was disappointed that he wasn’t a girl. He was home schooled by a “rum-soaked Romanian dwarf” and can speak French with a Romanian accent.

As an adult, Kemp has no friends because people smelled of “carbon monoxide mixed with desperation.” His boss wouldn’t give him time off for his dying aunt, so he left. And yet he arrives with an empty suitcase.

This aunt seemed to be so exotic, so worldly the one time he met her because she arrived in a taxi. So he wrote to her, letters that she apparently didn’t bother to keep and he sent photos–hoping that she would remember him fondly.

Grace’s home isn’t well-kept. It’s old and Ken MacDonald’s scenic design with its walls set askew and yellow paper covering the windows suggests chaos and a dismaying neglect. Grace isn’t rich. And yet Kemp grasps to have what little she has.

Panych’s allows Kemp to say things we might all be guilty of thinking, but wouldn’t dream of airing out loud. And perhaps Kemp goes a bit further here and there. As time passes, he gets a bit creative in a manner that will remind you of Wile E. Coyote in his many ill-conceived attempts to capture the Road Runner.

While the first act is filled with dark humor, the second act has touching moments. To say more would spoil the carefully plotted journey.

Barricelli is vulnerable even when he’s gruff, and his timing, is spot on. Dukakis, who speaks little, particularly in the first half, still manages to hold her own, conversing with subtle body language.

“Vigil” is a lovely contemplation on life, loneliness and old age, sneakily sweetened with enough dark humor to break down one’s normal reserve. Perhaps it’s just what one needs to prepare for the upcoming family-oriented holidays.

“Vigil” continues until 18 December 2011 at the Mark Taper Forum. Tuesdays-Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays, 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Dark on Mondays. No 1 p.m. performances on 13 November and 11 December. No 2:30 p.m. performance on Saturday, 19 Novmber. No performance Thursday, 24 November. No 6:30 p.m. performance Sundays, 4 and 18 December. $20-$65. Call (213) 628-2772 or visit www.CenterTheatreGroup.org.