Sam Shepards plays are back in style, and this fantastic production of his prize-winning 1985 drama (directed by Rob West) reminds us why. The darkly funny tale of two families bound by a horrific incident of domestic violence unfolds over three hours. Yet the charged, masterly acting makes it feel like something life-altering is always just about to happen. (This is the debut production by new company Collektor.) Brothers Jake (Ray Tagavilla) and Frankie (Tim Gouran), scarred in radically different ways by their preferential mother (a scrumptiously poisonous Macall Gordon), reach out to the family of Jakes left-for-dead battered wife (Aimeé Bruneau). As more blood spills, we see how generations of mishaps, fueled by alcohol, rage, and class, continue to haunt the survivors during their struggle for certainty. MARGARET FRIEDMAN
Thursdays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 1, 2 p.m. Starts: Sept. 8. Continues through Oct. 1, 2011
