Strings McCrane (a complex, unsettled, and conflicted Adam Driver) did not need to be overly mindful when he was a world-famous country and western singer and a movie star: he had teams deciding what was best for his present and future career, thus unburdening him from the pressure and uncertainty of being mindful about anything. After his mother’s untimely death and the trip back to his “roots” in Tennessee, Strings suddenly is confronted with what it might mean to be mindful, and that journey inward is not as successful as most self-reflective journeys hope to be. This cognitive skill needs to be honed carefully, and this journey to incisiveness is the guts of Kenneth Lonergan’s “Hold on to Me Darling” at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.

Lonergan’s narrative begins with a stay with his assistant Jimmy (a needy and oddly codependent Keith Nobbs) in an opulent hotel suite in Kansas City where is grappling with a new realization: “I been empty inside. I been dead inside for years, and Mama’s passin’ away has woke me up and I don’t like it.” Jimmy suggests a “A good rubdown and a hot bath” and schedules a massage for Strings with the hotel massage therapist. Upon Nancy’s (an overbearing, annoying, and selfish Heather Burnes) arrival with her portable table, towels, and sheets. Strings encounters his first roadblock to achieving that mindfulness he desires.

Nancy reveals herself as a manipulating and overbearing opportunist before she even gets Strings on the table; however, Strings fails to see Nancy’s long-range plan and falls completely under her spell. After that unexpected tryst, Strings visits his half-brother Duke (a laidback, overburdened, and accepting CJ Wilson) where he again rehearses his plans for a new life: working at the local feed store. The next stop in Beaumont, Tennessee is to visit his mother at Crockett’s Funeral Home where he meets his second cousin twice removed Essie (a gentle, somewhat broken, and perceptive Adelaide Clemens).

Although Strings seems not to remember much about Essie since he left Beaumont, she has continued to attempt to keep in touch with him over the years. Given Strings’ self-absorption and his attraction to young women, his recent tryst with Nancy seems to fade into his new “attachment” to Essie and a tryst with this distant relative. Just as mindfulness begins to take hold, Nancy reprograms Strings to believe she is the best choice in women to bring him happiness.

This Yin/Yang cycle continues throughout the narrative with not much assistance from assistant Jimmy who is a master at co-dependence. Strings’ journey is reminiscent of both recovery from addiction and the process of bereavement: both have more dynamics in common than one might imagine. Full recovery and acceptance come after several events, including his purchase of the feed store with his brother Duke, exorcising Nancy from his life, reuniting with his birth father Mitch (a gentle-spirited, redemptive, and multi-layered Frank Wood), and facing the financial burden from the pending lawsuits from his music industry and film industry producers.

How this late dramatic climax leads to a successful resolution is difficult to share without multiple spoiler alerts. It is enough to say that Strings McCrane emerges as a self-aware individual capable of mindfulness and open to a future that just might include that second cousin twice removed. Kudos to Adam Driver, Keith Nobbs, Heather Burns, CJ Wilson, Adelaide Clemens, and Frank Wood who deliver outstanding ensemble performances rich with authenticity and believability. Adam Driver rounds out this original cast with fresh character perspective, appropriate humor, and redemptive nuance.

Neil Pepe directs “Hold on to Me” with exquisite attention to detail and he allows the energy between the cast to inform his decisions. Walt Spangler’s rotating set reveals a series of stunning locations deftly showcased by Tyler Micoleau’s lighting design, David Van Tiegham’s sound design, and Suttirat Larlarb’s and Lizzie Donelan’s costume design.

Ken Lonergan conquers the themes of grief, guilt, and emotional complexity in “Hold on to Me Darling, which might suggest a deep understanding of such experiences in his own life. This revival of the play was well worth waiting for. Playwright Lonergan’s craft is a gift that seems to keep on giving.