An affair to remember: ‘Betrayal’ at Goodman Theatre in Chicago stars Helen Hunt

The prolific Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal” was first produced on Broadway 45 years ago and has since had four New York City revivals and a film starring Jeremy Irons and Ben Kingsley. While I haven’t seen any of the above productions, I’m here to tell you about the new one at the Goodman Theatre, where the star power of the latest Chicago revival, led by Helen Hunt (“Mad About You,” “As Good As It Gets”) and Robert Sean Leonard (”Dead Poets Society,” “House”), is drawing well-deserved crowds.

With only nine scenes – mostly in reverse chronological order – showing key points in an extramarital affair, it’s worth getting “da seat” to this story of deceit.

First, an advisory or two. If you’re concerned you won’t be able to keep track of when certain events are happening, don’t worry: Rasean Davonté Johnson’s projections at the start of each scene give you the location, year and season (like “Flat. 1971. Summer.”). Also, if a scene takes place a short time later (for example, a different setting but occurring after the scene you’ve just watched), the projection begins with the word “Later.” (Note: Additional projections include black-and-white, dialogue-free film footage to show the passage of time and to allow for set changes.)

As the play begins, Emma (Hunt) and Jerry (Leonard) are meeting in a pub in the spring of 1977. As we soon find out, it’s been two years since the end of the affair between Emma and Jerry, the best friend of her husband, Robert (Ian Barford). The reason for the meeting is that Emma – after a long night of conversation with Robert the night before that likely is leading to a separation – wants to see how Jerry, also still married, is doing. Emma says she’s just discovered that Robert has had multiple lovers over the years, and that she finally told Robert about her seven-year relationship with Jerry. Jerry is surprised by all of it.

In the next scene – Robert and Jerry have a conversation in which it becomes obvious that the timing of when Robert found out his wife was cheating on him with Jerry isn’t quite as recent as Emma said. It was four years earlier. Pinter’s dialogue is to the point and shows how what could be a tense situation can, to the audience, provide some comic relief: “I thought you knew.” “Knew what?” “That I knew. That I’ve known for years. I thought you knew that.” “You thought I knew?” “She said you didn’t. But I didn’t believe that. Anyway, I think I thought you knew.”

Under the direction of Goodman Artistic Director Susan V. Booth, the 75-minute play, performed without intermission, keeps the audience thoroughly engaged. The reverse chronology of most scenes – going from 1977 to 1975 to 1974 to 1973 to 1971 and finally 1968 – means that the audience knows information about the future versions of these characters but eagerly wants to know, and is often surprised by, how events from the past unfolded. It’s not just a gimmick. The audience gets answers to several questions we’re all thinking, including:

• Who was the initial instigator of the Emma-Jerry flirtation?

• What led to Robert’s discovery of his wife’s affair?

• Which two characters have the closest relationship, and does that change from one year to the next, or rather, to the previous point in time?

Hunt’s delivery is sometimes a bit soft, making it difficult to hear all of Emma’s lines, especially in the first scene. But Emma’s more quiet nature does ultimately attract both of the lead male characters and, thus, the audience’s attention.

In my opinion, though, because Jerry goes through the widest variety of emotions, and because Robert’s character is seething in the scene in which he confirms his wife’s affair, I found myself most impressed by the acting of Leonard and Barford.

Booth’s positioning of actors throughout the play also deserves praise, with actual distancing between the characters often reflecting the closeness, or lack of closeness, of their relationship at that point in time.

In summary, if you’re looking for a classic drama geared to adults, this is an affair to remember. Hit the trail to “Betrayal.”

• Paul Lockwood is a communications consultant at Health Care Service Corporation in Chicago, as well as a local theater actor, singer, award-winning columnist, Grace Lutheran Church (Woodstock) and Toastmasters member and past president of TownSquare Players. He has lived in Woodstock for more than 24 years.

IF YOU GO

• WHAT: “Betrayal”

• WHERE: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago

• WHEN: Through March 30

• INFORMATION: 312-443-3800, goodmantheatre.org/show/betrayal