THE DWARFS
Northlight Theatre
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Take the title of his 1978 masterpiece Betrayal, which at first seems easy to grasp. The further one delves into it, the more complex it becomes. Since we’re dealing with the issue of domestic infidelity in a story of a woman’s affair with her husband’s best friend, we might assume the title refers to the woman and her lover deceiving her husband. But Pinter did not title his play Deceit. “Betrayal” refers not only to a deception but also to a secret disclosure, which could make it a veiled reference to Pinter’s own highly publicized marital transgressions with Lady Antonia Fraser. Betrayal can also imply an unintended revelation or a treacherous infidelity. As Pinter’s characters betray each other, they also betray their own emotions. What’s amazing about the play is that it encompasses every possible definition one might dream up for the word.
In a rare treat, Chicago audiences can now examine Pinter’s progression from abstract enfant terrible (Feral Theatre’s jarringly exquisite The Dwarfs) to master of contemporary theater (Northlight Theatre’s hauntingly beautiful Betrayal). Neither production should be missed.
