Two revivals and one new play all reveal works that are in some way flawed -- but at least one good performance in each make the shows worth checking out for serious theater fans.
Time has not been kind to Orphans, an award-winning play that has the imprimatur of Steppenwolf, a list of major stars that have tackled key roles (including Albert Finney in the so-so movie version) and a long history of successful regional productions. It's easy to see why small theater companies like it: this three-hander by Lyle Kessler has one set; is filled with juicy, showy parts; and boasts a solid middle section almost guaranteed to score some laughs. It's also pure hokum, with broad types rather than real characters and a deflating finale after the show runs out of steam.
Ben Foster (in his Broadway debut and practically his theater debut as well) stars as Phillip, a two-bit tough guy who indulges in petty crime to keep him and his little brother in tuna fish. Their folks left long ago, with mom dying and dad taking off. That left Phillip with Treat (Tom Sturridge) and at first it seems like Treat is a weighty responsibility. Treat apparently has never left their home (not since he was very small, at least) and these two young men are trapped together.
Treat bounds around like a puppy, trying to never touch the floor as he leaps from couch to chair to windowsill and waiting breathlessly for Phillip to come home and maybe bring him some more Hellman's mayonnaise. He might be mentally or at least physically challenged, or so it seems. But then we realize Treat has apparently taught himself to read, loves new words, can remember every movie he's seen (and he's seen a lot of them) and is pretty smart after all. Phillip told Treat he'll die from allergies if Treat steps outside, but was that to protect him from getting lost or to keep him home and dependent on his older brother? They're alone in the world, but Phillip soon seems a lot more vulnerable than the open-hearted Treat.
That becomes crystal clear when Phillip brings home a drunken businessman named Harold (Alec Baldwin). Harold is holding a briefcase filled with valuable stocks and bonds so Phillip devises a cockamamie plan to hold Harold for ransom and make a million bucks. Too bad no one gives a damn about Harold and in fact the people Phillip contacts sound like they'd rather see Harold dead. In a very satisfying twist, Harold escapes his bonds, befriends Treat and takes Phillip under his wing. They're orphans, dead end kids just like Harold was and he wants to help them. But is Harold using them the way Phillip used Treat? Maybe he just needs a place to hide.
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