It’s summer time in Austin, which means most of the stages will be taken up by either fun, flashy musicals, or frivolous, foppish comedies, so it’s a refreshing change of pace to find a theatre throwing in something intellectually and emotionally challenging. Hyde Park’s production of Pinter’s time-hopping relationship drama Betrayal is a feast for the mind, the kind of layered puzzle box of veiled emotions and hidden meanings that will frustrate and delight viewers in equal measure. It’s the kind of work that can quickly run away from a team without a steady hand at the reins, but here we have Ken Webster holding it all together, with a firm hand and a clear vision as what the piece is trying to do, and say. It’s an intense piece of emotional intrigue where the clever minimalist set merges with the smart, subtle, but potent performances from its cast to create a stunning dance of romance, deception, and, indeed, betrayal.
Betrayal is the story of the dissolution of a relationship, told, essentially, in reverse. We meet the two illicit lovers well-past their relationship’s expiration date, and move backwards in time to the conception point of their tryst. Along the way we get a Greatest Hits of the most important moments from this duo, as well the jilted husband in the midst of this maelstrom, from moments of explosive revelation to quiet moments of self-reflexive guilt, all examining the complex net of human emotion, and how the cracks that form in any relationship can weaken the bedrock of everyone involved.
Juliet Robb tackles her work as Emma with crystalline composure. Cool, sparkling, winning, but just a crack away from falling apart. Pinter’s work is always about cool heads and hidden meaning, and Robb captures these elements with a keen sharpness, keeping a pleasant facade while we watch tempests rage within. When she finally cracks, and puts her raw emotion on display, she creates some of the work’s most worthwhile scenes, as beguiling as they are alarming, an open wound laid bare. Robb captures both the charm and vulnerability of the character, while capturing the guarded nature throughout, a tight-rope Robb walks with aplomb.
When Brennan Patrick first appears on stage as spurned lover Robert, one wonders if he didn’t wander in from another time. A powerful stage presence, he looms over the proceedings with a sentinel’s eye, suspicious of any sabotage in his midst. He carries with him the comportment of a Welles or Brando, the kind of actor who absolutely devours every scene they’re given and comes back for more, a subtle menace lurking behind a charming front. At times he’s almost exhausting to watch, the concentrated intensity of his performance washing over you like a tsunami, even while constrained by his stony demeanor. That he’s able to keep a veneer of charm through all this is notable, showing an impressive understanding of the material.
In many ways Steve Guntli works as the play’s every man as Jerry, the likable young lover that’s hard to root against. Perhaps it’s due to the actor’s innate charm, but even at his most despicable, it’s hard to dislike the character, which is an especially fascinating element to add to a piece about infidelity. While the other characters seem to keep things close their chest and keep explosive emotions behind stern walls, Guntli’s Jerry feels more transparent, like the lone window in a stone prison. This only becomes more the case as we reach Betrayal‘s final few scenes, as Guntli bursts with spritely exuberance as he first proclaims his feelings of the woman he loves, even slyly admitting such to his rival (who seems to laugh it off awkwardly). The three performers come together to create a fascinating triptych, each whirling around the other in a confounding, but alluring, dance.
When I arrived at Hyde Park Theatre last weekend, it was truly impressive to see how many young people were in attendance. Though so many people can see the works by the old masters as forced vegetable-eating, experiencing the works by artists like Pinter, or Chekov, or Ibsen can be life-changing. Though some may giggle at how unabashedly sincere these works can be, this is the kind of production that can turn a theatre-curious young person into a lifelong lover the dramatic arts. Hyde Park, and companies like it, are doing important work for the theatre community, and I hope that they can continue to bring these seminal works to younger crowds, as you never know when the next burgeoning creative could be sitting in the crowd waiting to act in, write, or direct their own work. Lord knows this critic wouldn’t have discovered his love for live theatre had it not been for a random production of Hedda Gabler several decades ago, and one wonders if Hyde Park’s production of Betrayal could be that germination point for someone else.
Betrayal is playing through July 27th at Hyde Park Theatre. For more information, and to purchase tickets (if any are available, as this one’s selling fast), contact hydeparktheatre.org.
Photos Courtesy of Eric Graham.
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