The Circle September 17, 2010

Most people know Somerset Maugham for his celebrated novels and stories, but we tend to forget that he was also one of the most popular and important dramatists of his time. APT revisits 'The Circle': a work witty, elegant and deftly plotted, its sparkling exterior hiding a tender and occasionally dangerous interior. The play boasts two love triangles, one of the older set, another of the younger. Lady Kitty left her family 30 years ago for a new husband and a new life. But now she's back, second husband in tow, to revisit what she left behind and to find her now-grown son dealing in a triangle of his own. The hall of mirrors that ensues is both funny and alarming, consistently entertaining, and, ultimately, devastatingly wise.