Revival of Orphans is a peculiar, incomplete hostage power play

A revival of Lyle Kessler’s Orphans stages an oddball hostage power play inside a Philadelphia household, where an interloper arrives first as a victim and then gradually seizes control.

The family at the centre comprises two brothers: Phillip, played by Fred Woodley Evans, who is younger, vulnerable and apparently housebound, and Treat, played by Chris Walley, who is more voluble and a petty thief. Designer Sarah Beaton’s beaten-up front room is the sole setting, and Treat drags in Harold (Forbes Masson), drunken and carrying valuable bonds, intending to hold him for ransom. Bound and gagged, Harold becomes a Houdini‑like figure who evolves into a father figure and oppressor, speaking of his orphanage childhood and grooming the brothers in different ways.

Al Miller’s direction builds claustrophobia and tension, but the production is held back by its setup: it teeters into symbolic or surreal territory without fully developing the relationships between the brothers and Harold. Moments of open bigotry are left unexplained, a problematic feature that the play does not resolve.

Ultimately the revival feels incomplete, though the three performances make the power play, vulnerability and pent-up anger believable and keep the production compelling despite its shortcomings.

Key Topics

Culture, Orphans, Lyle Kessler, Jermyn Street Theatre, Philadelphia, Al Miller