It’s no secret that playwright Harold Pinter (1930-2008) is one of the world’s most celebrated writers of his generation. A recipient of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Literature, Pinter is widely known and lauded for works like “The Birthday Party,” The Homecoming” and the subject at hand—“Betrayal”—playing at the Delaware Valley Opera Center in Lake Huntington, NY through Sunday, October 11.

Is “Betrayal” a good play? Yes. Is it well directed by Eliza Foss? Absolutely. Is it expertly performed by Arthur Aulisi (Jerry), Donna Jean Fogel (Emma), Christopher Peditto (Robert) and Thomas Cambridge (Waiter)? Yes, yes, a thousand times yes—but did I like it? Yes… and no, and I’ll tell you why.

Spoiler alert: Plot points ahead. Pinter’s unique device of telling his tale starting with the end and traveling through time to the beginning of the story is clever, unusual and an attention grabber from the get-go. His characters are well drawn but in lesser hands the story could be construed as melodrama, because their intertwining relationships are fused with narcissistic, selfish, self-centered desires that bubble just under the surface of their veddy, veddy British version of polite society—in my humble opinion.

That said, I don’t think that I’m alone in my assessment, and it’s undoubtedly the very thing that Pinter himself was seeking to convey. Having recently learned that “Betrayal” is not even loosely based on the playwright’s own indiscretions and affairs of the heart makes the story even more interesting, and conversely, even more ick-worthy. That’s because (aside from Cambridge’s waiter), the characters could be starring in the newest iteration of Sergio Pablos’ “Despicable Me” or a variation on Noel Coward’s “Private Lives” reworked as “Sordid Lives.” 

Yep, these folks are somewhat abhorrent, but since they’re British, their distasteful behavior is glossed over, simmering just below their well mannered upper-crust exterior. What started out as light banter, with some low-key chuckles from the audience, quickly became a lesson in defying societal mores while flaunting disagreeable moral behavior, all under the guise of these philanderers being contributing members of proper English society. 

But it’s not just the men. 

At the center of the story is Emma, played by Fogel with subtlety, nuance and delicacy, making the character very real and oddly sympathetic, while being just as guilty of unacceptable deportment, poor judgment and moral ambiguity as her husband and her lover. Fogel is so good that she somehow made me like Emma and magically appeared to reverse in age as the story time-traveled before our eyes. I didn’t want to sympathize with the character even a little, but did so—against my better judgment. 

As her politely womanizing husband Robert, Peditto shows us what he’s made of. Taking off his founding artistic director hat for this production and turning the reins over to skilled director Foss, Peditto gets to spread his wings and inform the audience of his stage and screen experience, having worked with Soho Rep, MCC Theatre and HERE Arts Center, to name a few.

Like his fellow “Betrayal” actors, Peditto is not only well suited to the role, but also very, very good. It would appear that Foss has a knack for drawing out the best in these performers, because Peditto’s “Robert” is also muti-layered, understated, and subdued—somehow likable and not at all likable—simultaneously. 

As Emma’s lover Jerry, Aulisi once again impresses with acting skills I have admired since River Rep opened its doors in 2002. The program notes indicate that Aulisi worked as an actor in New York City for over 25 years, and it shows. I’ve yet to be disappointed by Aulisi’s range as a performer, and as Jerry, he has the opportunity to shine. Not unlike the other characters in this somewhat unsavory story, Jerry is smart, well spoken and respectable, until the audience gets a peek at his disturbing mind-set: one that flies in the face of what others might interpret as just another  nice, well mannered, mildly stuffy British guy. 

The reason the word “British” keeps coming into play is simple: known for their glossy reserved exterior, those who are “to the manor born” are often perceived as tasteful, oddly formal, respectable members of society who behind closed doors are often anything but, and Pinter’s autobiographical exposing of the naked truth is brave, well crafted and unsettling. That in itself is what makes “Betrayal” worth seeing. 

While it’s entirely possible that Cambridge’s Italian waiter is incredibly loathsome at home, that is left up to our imagination, since the character provides lighter moments in the action, as Jerry and Robert trade bon mots and clever banter whilst dining al fresco as the story unfolds in reverse. Cambridge is another actor who never fails to entertain, so it’s noteworthy that he has become an “official River Rep ensemble cast member,” and I’ll look forward to seeing him continue to tread the boards with his equally talented co-stars. 

“Betrayal” is further enhanced by Liz Huntington’s quick-change costume design, which elevates the illusion of time moving backwards, and Brendan Regimbal’s theatrical lighting design. The set and sound design is simply credited to “the ensemble,” which is somewhat ambiguous, while “Visual Design Director” Kristina Perić has accomplished her goal of making sure that all of the production elements work in conjunction with each other. 

River Rep’s “Betrayal” is a shining example of the company’s mission to create “adventurous professional theatre, presenting the finest contemporary playwrights, new plays and innovative interpretations of classics.” 

To purchase tickets, visit www.riverrep.org.

Fun fact: The line “Yes, yes! A thousand times yes” is a quote from Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” spoken when Austen’s Jane Bennet agrees to marry Mr. Bingley.