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Are the Lying, Ugly Characters in Kitchen Dog Theater’s Betrayal Deserving Of Our Pity?

After seeing Kitchen Dog Theater’s production of Betrayal, I really felt like I needed a drink. Now whether that was from the unrelenting onslaught of Pinter bitterness or because I had just spent 90 minutes watching three actors down (fake) bottle of wine after glass of scotch after pint of beer, it’s hard to say. Either way, something tall and strong was definitely in order. Told in nearly reverse chronological order, Betrayal recounts the failed seven-year extra-marital affair between Emma, an art gallery owner, and Jerry, a literary agent and best friend of Emma’s husband, Robert, a book publisher. Before the love triangle theme gets too familiar, Pinter throws a curveball by revealing that none of these characters share the same definition of honesty. By assembling the clues left scattered throughout the play’s nine scenes and patching up the full story for themselves, it’s up to the audience to decide which character is worthy of their allegiance—if any.
By Lindsey Wilson |
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After seeing Kitchen Dog Theater’s production of Betrayal, I really felt like I needed a drink. Now whether that was from the unrelenting onslaught of Pinter bitterness or because I had just spent 90 minutes watching three actors down (fake) bottle of wine after glass of scotch after pint of beer, it’s hard to say. Either way, something tall and strong was definitely in order.

Told in nearly reverse chronological order, Betrayal recounts the failed seven-year extra-marital affair between Emma, an art gallery owner, and Jerry, a literary agent and best friend of Emma’s husband, Robert, a book publisher. Before the love triangle theme gets too familiar, Pinter throws a curveball by revealing that none of these characters share the same definition of honesty. By assembling the clues left scattered throughout the play’s nine scenes and patching up the full story for themselves, it’s up to the audience to decide which character is worthy of their allegiance—if any.

Unfortunately, none of the characters are particularly likeable, let alone pitiable or sympathetic. Emma and Robert have two children, as do Jerry and his unseen wife Judith. Jerry and Emma rent a flat in an out-of-the-way neighborhood for their afternoon meetings. The two men remain friends, even though we quickly learn that Robert is not only conscious of his wife’s transgressions, he has carried out some dalliances of his own. All of this could be fascinating in a soap opera-ish way, especially knowing that Pinter based parts of the play on his own clandestine affair with a BBC television presenter while still married. However, the coldness that emanates from this production keeps its audience at a firm distance.

Just as Pinter economically unravels the action with scenes designed to withhold certain facts, the so-called “Pinter pauses” in his dialogue are intended to be wells of unspoken emotion, with the actor’s subtle body language hinting at what is too painful, passionate, or complicated to be said aloud. Cameron Cobb alone pounces deliciously on these pauses as the cuckolded Robert, snatching them up and dispensing them with chilling calculation. When Emma finally reveals her infidelity while on a holiday in Venice, the true tension comes from watching Cobb first try to lure her into admitting the affair, then hastily dress to depart once she has landed in his trap. Likewise, Cobb’s restaurant scene with Jerry after learning that his best friend has been lying to him for years is another ticking time bomb. The only thing hindering us from fully siding with Robert is the fact that he is manipulative and often cruel with his knowledge. We’d root for him if he weren’t such a jerk.

As Jerry, Max Hartman is blandly affectionate and often baffled by the intrigue in which he has immersed himself. There is no unbridled ardor boiling beneath the surface, nor any hint of conflicting emotions when things start to turn sour with Emma. Leah Spillman spends the majority of her scenes looking terrified, as if she already knows things will end horribly and it’s only a matter of time before it all goes to pot.

Tina Parker ably directs her actors in front of Bryan Wofford’s impressive yet puzzling set. Gravity defying and neat to look at, the explosion of household debris looms menacingly behind the actors, threatening at any moment to either bury them in a detritus of life’s collectibles or swallow them whole. But apart from one instance, the set is actually ignored in favor of easily maneuverable tables and chairs. There seems to be an invisible wall around it, one that in a way extends to the audience. For all of its complexity, Betrayal feels curiously empty.

Photo: (From left) Max Hartman (Jerry), Cameron Cobb (Robert) in Betrayal. (Credit: Matt Mrozek for Kitchen Dog Theater).

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