This cast achieves a greater degree of realism and emotional connection than the Broadway cast…The intimate theatre setting helps the actors modulate their performances. Director Colin Smith knows how to use the fast-talking humor of scared individuals, yet he keeps the histrionics in check.
Bradley Foster Smith’s portrait of the strangely eccentric Mervyn is a superlative character performance, especially when he delivers an extended, strangely compelling monologue directly to the audience.
The other members of the cast give fine performances as well. Mark Rhea’s Carmichael is a haunted and unpredictable man. He makes the character less cartoonish that he appears on the page and he wordlessly conveys the character’s closing revelation with a touching emotional impact. Laura Herren takes the stereotypical crook’s dumb girlfriend role and finds a way to make Marilyn simply human while still funny. Finally, Manu Kumasi has outstanding comic gifts as a scared and emotional small-time criminal.
