Theater review: ‘Clever Little Lies’ at Circle Theatre

Be forewarned: The fibs told in Clever Little Lies, the domestic drama that opened at Circle Theatre on Saturday, are neither minor nor especially sharp-minded.

Please forgive that slight bit of spoiling. But it is offered because the opening moments of his show, written by Joe DiPietro, might make you believe otherwise. There are an abundance of biting lines and big laughs in the early going. But as this script nears its true destination, things take a turn for the serious.

This production, superbly directed by Steven Pounders, almost explodes with talent. Bill Jenkins and Linda Leonard play their married characters, Bill Sr. and Alice, so well that it might lead you to believe that they are married in real life. Which, come to think of it, is true. But both performers, it should be stressed, are just as effective when they are not acting with each other.

Jake Buchanan, as their son, Billy, gets the ball rolling in this show by making some monumentally bad decisions and then, to compound the situation, letting his meddlesome parents in on his stupid moves. For most of the play, he is a drowning man, flailing in the surf while all his would-be rescuers just keep throwing him anvils.

Kelsey Milbourn is Billy Jr.’s wife, Jane, who is so obsessed with her newborn child that she is neglecting her husband. Big mistake.

Little else can be said about the plot without spoiling still more. So suffice it to say that the show is primarily about the four characters working through a family crisis.

All the actors do a great job under Pounder’s expertly guiding hand. But, if there is a first among equals here, it is Jenkins. His is the most interestingly written character, and it is seldom you will see an actor do more with what he is given than Jenkins does with this role.

He draws gales of laughter with a well-timed facial expression one minute, then makes us feel a breaking heart in the space of a pause between lines in the next. His work drives Buchanan’s performance in the same artfully challenging way that Leonard’s drives his. It is electrifying to watch that trio work off of each other.

Also of note is Clare Floyd DeVries’ brilliantly conceived set design. It helps allow this play to be presented in a single, swift 90-minute act.

So there is absolutely nothing to fault with the performances or staging of this show, which kicks off this theater’s 35th season. If it has any problems, they are born of the excellence of DiPietro’s writing. There is a reason he has a couple of Tony awards to his credit. His comedic writing is especially inspired, and the pathos he mines is deeply intense.

But juxtaposing laughter and pain is a thin line to walk, and the paradigm shifts employed here may strike some patrons as being a bit extreme.

Ultimately, this show is about sacrifice. Once all is said and done, you may feel good about what has been salvaged. But, because DiPietro put pen to paper so well, you will also feel the enormity of what has been lost. For those willing to hang on for this script’s oft-changing ride, its rewards can be richly layered.

This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 9:32 AM with the headline "Theater review: ‘Clever Little Lies’ at Circle Theatre."