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Theatre Exile is known as one of Philly’s edgier theatre companies, so it’s no surprise that they took a risk by eschewing flashier plays to present Irish playwright Conor McPherson’s Shining City as their final production of the season.

The mood is generally calm and subdued – all the better to see the characters’ angst – and most of the action consists of two men talking. The simultaneously realistic and abstract set (a sparse therapist’s office in Dublin), accompanied by glowing lighting and haunting music, complements the script’s tone and dialogue perfectly.

Scott Greer plays John, a man whose wife has recently been killed in an accident. He is full of mixed feelings ranging from guilt, to doubt, to relief. The most upsetting and terrifying thing, though, is what’s brought him to therapy: he is seeing her ghost all around his house. Greer manages to convey the character’s desperation despite McPherson’s inarticulate, truncated dialogue.

The therapist, Ian, is also a man with tumultuous emotions. He is a former priest turned therapist, and he has no idea who he is. He struggles with his job, his identity, and his relationships, having just left his girlfriend and their baby. William Zielinski embodies the nuanced character, and the two men interact beautifully with each other.

This much-lauded play by a star playwright isn’t what you see on most stages nowadays. It’s a true actor and character-driven play, and feels disturbingly realistic despite turns towards the supernatural that will make you gasp, and then keep looking over your shoulder on the way home. See it while you can, the play closes on April 25th.

Shining City
Now through April 25th

Plays & Players Theatre
1714 Delancey St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 218-4022
www.theatreexile.org