In paying such scrupulous attention to the comic underpinnings of Harold Pinter’s classic, director John Pleshette sidesteps the monotony that often seeps into the staging of the play. The plot of Old Times is deviously simple, and fertile ground for the darkly funny musicality in the prose that Pinter is renowned for. A married couple, Deeley (Dan Cowan) and Kate (Cecilia Specht), who occupy a farmhouse by the sea, await the arrival of Kate’s longtime friend and former roommate, Anna (Cerris Morgan-Moyer). Her entrance at the start of the play gives rise to some welcoming chitchat over drinks, and, at first blush, this reunion seems rather commonplace. But slowly, something deeper emerges, and the mind games begin. Anna seems intent on sparring with Deeley in a contest for Kate’s affections, and as the play progresses, it becomes apparent that there is much more to the relationship between these three characters, as the past and present inexorably collide. Among the ensemble’s crisp, nuanced performances, Morgan-Moyer imbues Anna with a particularly scintillating blend of seduction, vibrancy and innocence.
Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 4 p.m. Starts: March 7. Continues through April 13, 2008

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