There's something about seeing a production a second time that makes the viewer more aware of what works in it, and what doesn't. While I've already talked about this, for the first time, I have the opportunity to review a show that I already reviewed on Broadway: "The Normal Heart," now playing at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.

The play follows activist Ned Weeks (Patrick Breen), a fiery man who, at the advice of a doctor (Patricia Wettig), becomes worried about a new deadly disease that is almost exclusively targeting the gay population of New York. Ned starts a group to disseminate knowledge about the mysterious disease, and the dashing-but-closeted Bruce Niles (Nick Mennell) is elected president. In the meanwhile, Ned finds true love at last with Felix Turner (Luke MacFarlane), a culture writer for the New York Times, a publication that, like the mayor of the city, is almost entirely ignoring the outbreak.

READ MORE: Theater Review: 'The Normal Heart' On Broadway

Certainly, the play's flaws are far more apparent upon a second viewing. There's an old mantra applied to every kind of storytelling: "show, but don't tell." Larry Kramer's play does an awful lot of telling, with very little showing, especially in the first act, which gets bogged down in exposition at times. The second act moves along much more quickly, though it is shamelessly emotionally manipulative.

But that's understandable; Ned Weeks is based on Kramer himself, and both Weeks and Kramer felt the need to do something drastic or sensational to raise awareness about the illness that would later be branded as HIV/AIDS. And that Kramer has done. The heart-rending moments in the second act are, if anything, more heart-rending the second time around, if only because you know what's coming (a certain moment with trash bags comes to mind). George C. Wolfe, who has reprised his directing duties from Broadway, works with a talented cast at Arena Stage (the limited "national tour" will also play at the A.C.T. in San Francisco this fall). Breen and MacFarlane ("Brothers & Sisters"), who had much smaller parts in the production on Broadway, bring a great deal to their complex characters, while Christopher J. Hanke (Bud Frump in the revival of "How to Succeed") is wonderful as Tommy Boatwright, a volunteer with a sunny disposition at Weeks' organization. Wettig ("thirtysomething") is also strong as Dr. Brookner, delivering a rousing call to arms in the second act.

Is "The Normal Heart" an imperfect and brash play? Yes. But to my mind, the purpose of theater is to communicate an important message in a way that really speaks to the audience, and this play certainly does. As I once again hear a chorus of sniffles as the cast made their bows, I couldn't help but respect the affecting power of "The Normal Heart," and hope that it will inspire further change. While the gay rights movement has come a long way since the events of the play (and even since it appeared on Broadway last summer), it still has a long way to go, and if this play helps to inspire change, I can't really begrudge it.

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