The show: “Topdog/Underdog” at Birmingham Festival Theatre. Suzan-Lori Park’s Pulitzer Prize-winning dark comedy about two brothers – one an Abraham Lincoln stand-in at a local arcade and the other a small-time three-card-monte operator – dealing with a tumultuous relationship that ultimately leads to a tragic conclusion.
The cast and director: Stephen Means as Lincoln; Blake Johnson as Booth; directed by Carlton V Bell II.
The crew: Ezra Brown, associate director; Emma Thomason, stage manager; Paul Skripnik, guitar consultant; Sally Montgomery, costume designer and coordinator; Mindy Egan, scenic and lighting designer; Benjo Verge, sound designer.
The highlights: Means and Johnson give two sensational perforances as the two brothers, alike in so many ways but polar opposites in so many others. Parks’ masterful script balances comic moments with high drama, and the two actors seamlessly manage both – not an easy task for them or director Bell, who brings out the play’s powerful themes and their cast’s nuanced performances. Egan’s superb lighting is almost a third actor, artistically setting the stage as Parks jumps from comedy to drama and back again.
Bottom line: A searing and provocative play that’s a wonderful showcase for two extremely talented actors.
“Topdog/Underdog,” at Birmingham Festival Theatre through Sunday.
