Far East

Since A.R. Gurney (The Dining Room) has set his new play abroad, you might think he'd branched out from his usual WASP terrain. But you'd be wrong. His central character is Sparky (square-jawed Michael Hayden), a beer-company heir who lands a cushy gig on a Navy base in 1950s Japan. Sparky ''fraternizes with the indigenous staff,'' in the words of his captain's very preppy, very disapproving wife (the fine Lisa Emery). After a slow start, Gurney makes things interesting, with help from director Daniel Sullivan and the strong cast. Thomas Lynch designed the artful Far Eastern sets. B