BETRAYAL
BETRAYAL
Reviewed by Jeffrey R Smith of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle
Step into Actors Theatre of 855 Bush Street in San Francisco, and you are only two, possibly three, generations from the man himself: Constantin Sergeyevich Stanislavski: the Russian import who invented the method school of acting.
The Stanislavski technique was multi-variant, holistic and psycho-physical in its approach: it explored character and action both from inside the character and from outside the character.
Kazan and Brando expropriated the method to perform Tennessee Williams.
Circa 1947, Stanislavski passed the Russo-Thespian torch to Lee Strasberg, who, along with Stella Adler and Harold Clurman are now considered the founders of the American method style of acting.
While living in New York, Jean Shelton, unquestionably one of the finest acting teachers in the country, was closely associated with Stella Adler, Harold Clurman, and Lee Strasberg, until 1961.
Kevin Phillips and Christian Phillips are the sons of Jean Shelton and the successful Broadway director and actor: Wendell Phillips.
Harold Pinter's BETRAYAL, is currently being staged at Actors Theatre: it presently occupies the very vortex of this auspicious confluence of theatrical talent, DNA and tradition.
Keith Phillips directs BETRAYAL: painting a Pinteresque tableau or tabloid: scattering lots of character details and nuance before the grasping, vainly sleuthing audience while simultaneously plunging the audience into deeper doubt and ambiguity as to the real nature or psychological composition of Pinter's characters.
Christian Phillips is cast as Robert: a book publisher who, in a very Pinteresque way, holds his emotional cards and his true identity in close proximity to his vest.
Emma—wife to Robert—a vixen played beautifully by Linden Young, is a sensuous mystery wrapped within an erotic enigma: Emma strips the husk of commitment from the very kernel human intimacy.
Jerry—Emma's lover of seven ardent years—played by Frank Willey, is the riddle about which this play pivots.
If the play could be reduced down to a few conspicuous questions they might be: One, what does Emma extract from her illicit relationship with likes of Jerry?
And two, why does Robert keep Jerry on as a friend.
And who exactly is zooming whom?
The dynamic between Robert and Jerry is the essence Pinteresque.
As stated in the Chamber's Dictionary, Pinteresque is characterized or marked by halting dialogue, uncertainty of identity and an air of menace.
Robert, having known of Jerry and Emma's affair for five years, uses this knowledge as power in the self-absorbed competitive, face-saving one-upmanship he exercises with Jerry.
The style of the play features Pinter's characteristically economical dialogue, his characters' hidden emotions and veiled motivations, and above all their dishonesty exercised even to the extent of self-deception.
Christian Phillips is truly San Francisco's most under-rated actor: he should not be missed.
Imagine: Pinter, Phillips, Phillips and Stanislavski all on one stage.
If you can appreciate superlative theatre, then you do not want to miss this.
Contact the box office via www.actorstheatresf.org or 415-345-1287.