What does your deadbeat brother want when he shows up unshaved, unkempt and unannounced at your front door? To borrow money, of course.
If only it were that simple — if only a wad of cash could end the troubles of a friend or relative asking for help. What Lucy Thurber’s “Killers and Other Family” makes plain is that those doing the asking in their hour of need are always looking for more than a check — they really want help with a deeper underlying problem.
When Elizabeth is faced with an unexpected visit from her heavily tattooed brother, Jeff, and his equally menacing-looking friend, Danny, it quickly spirals into a violent encounter charged with the kind of self-loathing, shame and confusion that few of us (gratefully) have ever experienced.
The discrepancy between Danny and Jeff’s redneck charm and Elizabeth’s intellectual New York lifestyle has potential for a light comedy. But comedy and lightness are quickly abandoned here. Instead, the characters plunge immediately into rapid dysfunctional cycles of anger, desperation and soothing as we learn at a painfully slow pace that Jeff, Danny and Elizabeth share a haunted, secret past.
Throughout, Elizabeth tries to protect herself from re-experiencing — and her girlfriend Claire from discovering — these dark, shared secrets.
“Killers and Other Family” is an appropriate choice for the Edge Theatre’s inaugural season because from the moment we hear Jeff’s knock on the door, the audience is on edge for the duration.
The specifics of the trio’s shared past are revealed with excruciating and at times unnecessary delay, causing each detail to land with as much anticipation and dread as the next drop during water torture.
But these tense and vague references to that past provide a springboard for some terrific performances. Under the direction of Charles Nuckolls, these actors seize a rare opportunity for intensely emotional, raw and naked performances — literally and figuratively.
Elizabeth Nodich (Elizabeth) gives a natural, uninhibited and appropriately intense performance, commanding attention without a hint of self-consciousness. Her heroic acting skills, however, don’t quite make up for the fact that her character’s alternating anger and defeat never settle long enough for us to know what she actually wants.
Brock Benson, playing Danny, consistently extracts humor from this dark piece, and he wears his ever-changing cloaks of charm, rage and manipulation with believable coherence.
“Killers and Other Family” is not for the faint of heart. With no intermission, the audience is never given a break from the emotional intensity of the evening. At every moment, at least one of the characters is in the throes of a new outburst or breakdown.
The intimate West Colfax Avenue performance space becomes a straightforward but detailed New York apartment. With such a successful design and convincing performances, the audience is unavoidably engaged and along for the draining ride, holding its collective breath for nearly two hours.
After such an exhausting journey, is there at last a satisfying resolution, a sense of catharsis or a glimmer of hope for the future? Unfortunately, “Killers and Other Family” is a bit lean on both, leaving the audience, along with the characters, merely drained.
Kateri McRae, an assistant professor at the University of Denver, is the “she” half of the “He Said/She Said Critiques,” which can be found at . E-mail: katerimcrae@gmail.com
“Killers and Other Family” **1/2 (out of four stars)
Graphic drama. Presented by the Edge Theatre, 9797 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood. Written by Lucy Thurber. Directed by Charles Nuckolls. Through June 5. 1 hour, 50 minutes, with no intermission. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 6 p.m. Sundays. $14.40-$18. 303-232-0363 or . Caution: For mature audiences; sexual situations and violence.
