Actors Adam Houghton and George Dornbach are rivetingly understated as the older Mr. X and the younger Mr. Y in their contemporary adaptation of August Strindberg's ironic 1889 drama. They have reset the play in California, yet retained the rhythms, confrontational dynamics, and dripping disdainfulness of Sweden's controversial playwright. Though they never come to blows as they each try to blackmail one another for revealed past crimes, they utterly emanate the aura of psychic warfare. (8:30 p.m. Wed., 10 p.m. Thu., 7 p.m. Sat., Ritz Studio, 345 13th Av. NE)
JOHN TOWNSEND
