A study of two damaged brothers whose lives are disrupted by an outsider, Lyle Kessler’s blend of absurdism and realism could be a Philadelphia-set companion to Harold Pinter’s The Caretaker. Here all three men are orphans, warped by a lack of female affection. Treat (Chris Walley) is a violent thief while Philip (Fred Woodley Evans) is housebound in a state of fearful arrested development.
Harold (Forbes Masson) is a fiery wheeler-dealer kidnapped by Treat, who turns the tables to become a Fagin-like father figure. Originally mounted in LA in 1983, the play got a landmark 1985 staging by Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre and has gone on to become a modern American classic. Though there’s always a credibility hurdle when British actors play US tough guys, Al Miller’s revival gives the play’s sense of mystery and threat a compelling energy.
