Friday, Dec. 21, 2001

Topdog/Underdog

A reformed street hustler, who now makes a living playing Abraham Lincoln in an arcade, shares a seedy room with his brother, who calls himself Booth. No point in trying to figure out the symbolism; just revel in Suzan-Lori Parks' haunting, fractured world of losers and even bigger losers. Jeffrey Wright and Don Cheadle (in an all too short off-Broadway run that could reach Broadway next year) gave riveting performances in one of Parks' strongest plays.