
*** Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal” is a three -person play that many would call a love triangle. While most theater audiences prefer “happily ever after” stories, this one is far from that, and in its 75 minutes of duration, smartly directed by Susan V. Booth. Based on Pinter’s story, this may be very close to reality for him, but I will let you be the judge on that. This is a love story, and yes, a love triangle does exist.
Our characters are Emma ( Helen Hunt is solid , and is far from the character most of us remember doing on “Mad About You”). She is married to Robert ( played to perfection by Ian Barford). Robert’s best friend is Jerry ( deftly handled by Robert Sean Leonard). These are the characters with the exception of the Waiter (Nico Grelli) who appears in one important scene.
The story is told in what appears to be two acts ( albeit very short acts) covering their lives beginning in 1977 and spinning backwards to 1968. We are like the preverbal “fly on the wall” watching the story, or should I say stories, unfold. Emma and Robert are seeing their marriage fall apart. Emma reconnects with Jerry, whom she shared a “flat” with and had an affair with for many years. They are ordinary people with ups and downs as well as flaws. We are seeing events that will upset us in that we find ourselves caring about each of the individuals involved, and hoping against hope that they will find true happiness. But, how can they?
I prefer not to give away the plot and importance of what is in this story. I do know from personal experience, of a person who did have an affair with a good friend’s spouse. They also played poker together for years. When they became aware of the situation, that friendship died. I would be interested to hear what others felt about the final relationship of Jerry and Robert.
The technical aspects of the production made the flow work. Neil Patel’s set design allowed quick scene changes and the projections (Rasean Davonte Johnson) were amazing. I never lost sight of where we were chronologically. The sound design and composition by Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen was exquisite and the costumes ( Linda Roethke) perfect. There is no mention of the propmaster, but whoever did them, was right on!
I guess the real question is about reality in life and could this be what Pinter wrote about? By the way, they are not wearing microphone’s and since they are using dialect ( why can’t the play be Americanized?), you might need to listen intently- what they say is important to the story!
This may not be the story you expect, but the overall production is sharp. It is definitely not a Hallmark story. “Betrayal” will continue Thru – Mar 30th with performances as follows:


Stage: Albert Theatre
Show Type: Drama
Box Office: 312-443-3800
Paul Lisnek’s interview:
Most people know Robert Sean Leonard from his role as Dr. James Wilson in the medical drama House, or his star turn as a young man in Dead Poet’s Society (1989) with Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke and others. Now, Leonard appears as Jerry, the best friend of Robert (played by Ian Barford) and who is having an affair with Robert’s wife Emma (played by the legendary Helen Hunt). The work of Harold Pinter, the play is based on true events in Pinter’s own life. In this conversation, Robert talks about his amazing career, the challenges of being in a play that tells the story in reverse time order, and his view of Chicago theater audiences.
Playing through March 30th Only! Tickets can be purchased at: www.GoodmanTheatre.org
The Link:
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