It’s a few days before Christmas. The year is 2014. Cal Porter, a successful New York City financial manager, is relaxing at home while his husband, Will, and their son, Bud, are enjoying the afternoon in a nearby park. Then comes an unexpected visitor. Katharine Gerard is the wealthy mother of the man who was Cal’s longtime partner many years back. Andre Gerard died of AIDS in 1994. Katharine never accepted her son’s sexual orientation, and she never accepted Cal. Twenty years later, will it be possible for them to achieve some degree of reconciliation?

Welcome to The Actors’ Group production of “Mothers & Sons.” The story is a sequel to playwright Terrance McNally’s 1990 television film, “Andre’s Mother,” that stands on its own as a fascinating study of human relationships — gay and straight alike. The show is Joyce Maltby’s directorial debut as a “free agent” following her 23 years as director of the theater program at Hawaii Pacific University. It is a dramatic production any island theater company would be proud to claim.

Maltby gets excellent performances from three exceptional actors. Kati Kuroda wears the role of an angry and bitter woman of hard-won wealth and privilege like a second skin. Kuroda’s bizarre portrayal of the housekeeper detracted mightily from TAG’s staging of “Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike” in 2014, but her mesmerizing portrayal of Katharine is the foundation of this show’s success.

A woman who disowns her son for being gay is obviously the designated villain in a story about the experiences of gay men, but McNally writes Katharine as much more than that. There are reasons for her rage, and there are reasons for her rejection of her son and of Cal. Most importantly, when Katharine shares some of her deeper thoughts with Cal, the timing of her revelations makes sense. Most importantly at TAG, Kuroda makes these pivotal moments seem a natural result of Katharine’s getting slightly more comfortable with Cal, Will and their son.

Tim Dyke (Cal) and Eddie Murray (Will) are perfectly matched as a contemporary gay couple. Each has issues they’re dealing with. Will, 10 years younger, wishes he could have shared Cal’s youth. Will has also come to terms with Cal’s “till death do we part” relationship with Andre; he has accepted Cal’s decision to keep mementos of Andre in their apartment.

Cal lives with the fact Andre cheated on him while he was being monogamous. Their relationship ended with Andre’s death because Andre contracted AIDS from one of those anonymous hookups (Cal is AIDS-free).

With Dyke, we see Cal as a man who is mature enough to seek resolution with Katharine but not at the cost of denying his relationship with Andre or his marriage to Will. Murray’s portrayal of Will gives the show most of its dramatic energy without turning the character into a stereotype.

TAG’s “Mothers & Sons” reminds us that the emotional components of love, family and relationships are not gender-specific. It is well worth a night out at the theater.

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“Mothers & Sons,” by Terrance McNally; directed by Joyce Maltby; sets by Joyce Maltby and Andy Alvarado; costumes by Chris Valles; lighting by Thomas Tochiki. Running time: 1 hour 35 minutes.

With: Tim Dyke (Cal), Kati Kuroda (Katharine) and Eddie Murray (Will). The role of Bud Ogden-Porter is shared by Kainoa Kelly and Kaleb McMillian.