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In GALA Hispanic Theatre’s wistful “Baño de luna (Bathing in Moonlight),” it takes just moments for the protagonist’s charisma — and the production’s standout performance — to register. The protagonist is Padre Monroe, a caring and talented Catholic priest in 2015 Miami. The performance is by the marvelous Raúl Méndez, who infuses the character with magnetism and conflicted depth.

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As directed by the esteemed playwright Nilo Cruz from his own flawed but thoughtful script, the play (performed in Spanish with English surtitles) begins with a quasi-immersive scene. Méndez’s Padre Monroe strolls down a theater aisle as though in procession at Mass, making eye contact, improvising jokes with congregants (theatergoers) and exuding joyous faith. By the time he launches into an inspiring sermon about inclusiveness, it’s clear that any parish would be lucky to have him.

But Padre Monroe questions his calling when he falls in love with Marcela (Hannia Guillén), a 30-something single mother who’s a gifted pianist. When she returns his affection, the looming scandal threatens not only the parish, but also Marcela’s dysfunctional family, which is reeling from the trauma of fleeing Cuba.

That trauma, and Padre Monroe’s potential breach of his vows, find an echo in Clifton Chadick’s set, whose tiered, marble-like surface is gashed by a crevasse. It’s a striking setup, especially when flooded with Christian D. Henrriquez’s dramatic lighting and Hailey LaRoe’s colorful projections: stained glass, religious paintings, eddying stars.

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The imposing visuals complement the epic issues Padre Monroe is wrestling with: Would a loving God really require us to cut off part of our nature? Might loving a particular person strengthen our spirituality? While displaying the rebellious intelligence Padre Monroe brings to these questions, Méndez (Netflix’s “Narcos”) reveals the priest’s disorientation in the face of human love. Here he is, awkwardly flirting with Marcela; there he is, prone on the floor in tortured prayer.

The other actors largely hold their own. Guillén lends Marcela pensive grace, although the character is too much of a stock self-sacrificing angel to be interesting. Hiram Delgado finds the poignancy in Marcela’s underachieving brother, and Carlos Castillo, as a bishop, deftly melds sternness and compassion. (Cidney Forkpah designed the ecclesiastical garb and other costumes.) Less successful is Víctor Salinas’s portrait of Marcela’s son, Trino, whose age (teenage, per the playbill) seems to waver erratically.

As Marcela’s mother, Martina, who is sliding into dementia, Luz Nicolás is by turns funny, steely and affectingly frail. In one riveting moment, the character sits quietly, looking straight ahead, then admits to a devastating betrayal of a loved one. Some other sequences in the play might be equally powerful had Cruz, as director, not overheated them with brooding sound effects.

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With the storytelling hopping over a couple of crucial plot points in a frustrating way, “Baño de luna” is not on par with Cruz’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Anna in the Tropics.” But Méndez turns the play into a moving character study that — moon-referencing title notwithstanding — is as sharp as a noon sunbeam.

Baño de luna (Bathing in Moonlight), written and directed by Nilo Cruz. In Spanish with English surtitles. Sound design, Justin Schmitz; properties, Luke Hartwood. About 2 hours. $25-$48. Through Oct. 1 at GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW. 202-234-7174. galatheatre.org.

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