Steadstyle Chicago
	March 2008 Theatre Review by Randy Hardwick
	Looking for a Ticket Broker? Check out the hottest broadway tickets from Gotickets.com The Caretaker Critical Evaluation: *** out of **** (Left) Richard Cotovsky, Dan Kuhlman; (Right) Cotovsky, Todd Lahrman and Kuhlman in Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company's production of "The Caretaker" by Harold Pinter. Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company's new production of Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter's "The Caretaker" is a solid piece of work.  There is nothing innovative about the production; director Hans Fleischmann and his able cast are completely loyal to Pinter's script about a quiet, mentally challenged man (Todd Lahrman), a down-and-out derelict (Richard Cotovsky) whom the man befriends by bringing him to live in his cluttered and depressing flat, and the man's sadistic younger brother (Dan Kuhlman).  Like virtually all Pinter plays, the action lies in the tension created more by what is not said than the actual dialogue of the play.  Pinter is always about power relations and the underlying aggression in human interaction as his characters jockey for power over each other.  It is a keenly observant, but unnervingly bleak view of humanity and one which requires the utmost in timing on the part of the actors. To their credit, this cast under Fleischmann's direction has mostly found their way with the timing and even managed enough humor to keep the depressing nature of the play from dragging the evening down.  Cotovsky, especially, brings warmth to the derelict Davies that is far from automatic in Pinter's frequently austere characters.  As Davies weaves his tales about getting his papers from Sidcup and getting his life together, there is just enough humanity to have the audience pulling for him - at least some of the time - while knowing full well that he can never get anything together.  His lack of gratitude for the things that Ashton does for him and the way he attempts to usurp Ashton's place in the apartment are grotesque, but like Ashton, we forgive him most of the time.  Lahrman's light touch preserves Ashton's position as the most sympathetic character of the lot.  His anger only occasionally bubbles up, but it's effective when it does and this saves Ashton from being pathetic.  Younger brother Mick is the most aggressive of the characters and Kuhlman is thorough in his control and humiliation of the other two.  These three are more literal than many Pinter characters, but there is still a surreal feel to them.  Cotovsky, Lahrman and Kuhlman manage to make them human through a strong, if not perfectly seamless, ensemble effort. The small upstairs space at Angel Island is perfect for presenting "The Caretaker".  John Wilson's dormer-windowed flat looks like a natural part of the walk-up theatre's attic.  The audience is so up-close that it is necessary to step over part of the clutter to get to some of the seats.  This was my first visit to the space and the set appeared so natural that I had to pause to make certain that we weren't just being ushered into the theatre's grimy workshop.  The other technical aspects of the show are also effective; the lighting convincingly portrays the passing of day to night to morning again and little sounds punctuate the feel of the creepy flat.  There is no real ending or meaning to this work, only the experience of being there for a while with some too real members of the human race.  The space adds to that sensation.  "The Caretaker" is a definitive Pinter play and Mary-Arrchie's presentation is a tight production.  If you are a Pinter fan, this show will satisfy; however, it is unlikely to win over Pinter critics or bring Pinter novices into the fold. "The Caretaker" is at Angel Island and runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 7:00 p.m. through April 12 2008.  Tickets are $18-$22 and may be purchased by calling 773-871-0442.  Angel Island is located at 735 W. Sheridan Rd. in Chicago.  For more information, visit www.maryarrchie.com.   About Randy Hardwick Randy Hardwick is an educator and sometime theatre critic.  He is a former member of the Drama Critics' Circle in Denver, Colorado where he published several entertainment related magazines and hosted The Heavyweights of Gambling, a weekly radio call-in show about casino gaming.  During the 1980's Randy was president of Tracks International, a nightclub chain renowned for its high-energy clubs in Denver and on the East Coast.  Hardwick first came to Chicago in 1999 and recently returned to his beloved Rogers Park neighborhood following three years of teaching at a university in Mexico.