Bribes and Corruption in ‘The Deal’

Two disarming portraits of corruption stand out in Matt Witten’s “The Deal,” now at International City Theatre in Long Beach.

In the play, first performed in 1986, an FBI undercover agent prodded by his conviction-hungry boss embarks on a sting operation. Target: Tommy O’Hara, the prime wheel-greaser in Harrisburg, Pa., no stranger to bribes and kickbacks.

In order to get the big guy, the undercover man must befriend--and essentially entrap--a small-timer, a gullible ward boss, Jimmy. Joel Anderson plays Jimmy. Barry Lynch plays Tommy. Both performances are excellent. Anderson’s hail-fellow heartiness masks an inner insecurity; he’s like the good twin of the kind of sleazeball that the late J.T. Walsh played so well. Lynch, a large, naturally authoritative presence, creates a character steeped in smiling amorality. “The world’s full of good guys,” his character says. “They can’t get things done.”

“The Deal” is, in essence, a pretty good episode of “Law & Order,” trafficking in welcome gray areas and shifting sympathies. In fact Witten, a playwright, novelist and television writer, works as story editor on that TV series. This early play is modest, saddled with its share of on-the-nose thesis points. Its use of profanity is rather routine. The story is not new. It is, however, nicely crafted and highly actable, and director Allan Miller (who staged the Los Angeles-area premiere of “The Deal” 11 years ago) serves it up without fuss.

The nominal hero is Peter, the FBI special agent played by Christopher Murray. Dihlon McManne portrays his eager superior, Alex. Their scenes aren’t Witten’s strongest--they belong to a lesser breed of TV cop show. McManne is adequate; Murray, a more compelling actor, tends to over-stress and italicize things, especially in the scenes in which Peter ingratiates himself (while concealing a tape recorder) with Jimmy and, later in the murky game, Tommy.

“The Deal” doesn’t concern itself with flashy, blood-spattered crime or criminals; its plot, after all, hinges on whether or not Jimmy will take a bribe in exchange for providing Peter, posing as a developer, with a hotel liquor license. Though “The Deal” predates the film “Donnie Brasco” by more than decade, there’s a “Donnie Brasco” pathos to the scenes between Peter and Jimmy, false friends, the betrayer and the betrayed. Playwright Witten makes Jimmy too sympathetic, perhaps, for the play’s own good--he’s only taking the bribe so that his daughter can attend a good college. But Anderson doesn’t push the blue-collar sainthood. He’s an actor with exceptional instincts regarding an “invisible” man such as this character.

Don Llewellyn’s multi-locale unit set represents corners of various offices, as well as a restaurant booth. The setting shoves much of the action toward the rear of the big International City Theatre stage, which feels like a tactical error. The dialogue’s “overheard” quality is crucial, and the distance between audience and actors doesn’t always help. Also, director Miller’s transitions (as well as the lighting cues) could lose a second or two of dead air; the flashback-to-present-day shifts should go zip-zip, not zip . . . zip.

“The Deal,” in the end, doesn’t so much stick in your craw as glide by, skillfully, in under two hours. It’s Anderson and Lynch who give Witten’s policier both weight and wit.

* “The Deal,” International City Theatre, Long Beach Performing Arts Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., downtown Long Beach. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends July 16. $25-$35. (562) 436-4610. Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes.

Joel Anderson: Jimmy

Barry Lynch: Tommy

Dihlon McManne: Alex

Christopher Murray: Peter

Written by Matt Witten. Directed by Allan Miller. Scenic design by Don Llewellyn. Costumes by Kim DeShazo. Lighting by Debra Garcia Lockwood. Sound design by Paul Fabre. Stage manager Michael Alan Ankney.