In a Dark, Dark House

Neil LaBute Unsettled

MCC Theater is turning into one of my favorite production groups in NYC. I've enjoy the last two shows I've seen at their Lorter Theater on Christopher Street (A Very Common Procedure and Some Girl(s)). One always expects a bit of acrid misanthropy from LaBute's work (In the Company of Men, Teh Shape of Things) and you can always bet that at least one of this characters is lying to and manipulating those around him or her. In his earlier work, this comes from a place of arrogance and malice which is sometimes difficult to understand but now he's peeled back from surface behavior into a new layer where one can start to glimpse at what may motivate the liar and what may drive the anger of his characters. In a Dark, Dark House we are introduced to two brothers, one an average, low-class guy and the other a troubled, wealthier lawyer who is in court-required rehab after a drunk driving and cocaine possession problem. Through slow reveal we see that growing up in their family was not fun. An abussive dad took most of his physical anger out on the older son, Terry, (Frederick Weller) while Drew (Ron Livingston) seems to have avoided paternal abuse but struggles with other recollections of childhood drama. It is clear from the opening scene that Terry takes the typical domineering and bullying role of older brother while Drew cowers and finds himself in a subservient position to his brother, literally held in a headlock. Secrets revealed in Act I simmer into a potential revenge scenario in Act II; Terry toys with a 16 year old girl, Jennifer (Louisa Krause), at a putt-putt course. The creepy feel shifts from brotherly disconnect to predatory wolf playing with potential prey. By Act III the shift comes full circle back to the brothers. Now Drew is back in his comfort zone, trading in rehab pajamas and robe for a nice suit and rich friends at his 'welcome home' party. Terry obviously doesn't fit into this world and he know it. Some things revealed in earlier acts turn into new things confusing the perception of where Terry's anger comes from and what Drew is capable of doing to preserve his lifestyle. The conclusion was surprising and left some unanswered questions about all three characters including Jennifer, leaving a sinking, unsettling feeling - and something to talk about when leaving the darkness of the theater house. So if you're up to seeing a twisted family history partially unveiled, you couldn't do much better than In a Dark, Dark House.