Ariel Dorfman’s gut-wrenching exploration of revenge and redemption, Death and the Maiden, is an indictment of torture based on the events of his homeland before and after the democratization of Chile. It has been a successful play and was trimmed into a movie, but leave it to Charles St. Clair and the impressive iTheatre Collaborative to shift its setting from one beleaguered continent, South America, to another, Africa, to repaint and reinterpret its relevance. The haunted Paulina Salas (Lillie Richardson) has survived not the Pinochet torture squads, but the horrific oppression of a white-minority government, her husband Gerardo Escobar(Mike Traylor) is now on a committee that sounds like South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and Dr. Roberto Miranda (Steven J. Scally) is the white doctor who may or may not have been Salas’ torturer that has accidentally stumbled into their no-win situation.

iTheatre Collaborative and especially St. Clair has proven able to take on plays from which other companies shrink and do them justice. Here, St. Clair has gone one step further. His tinkering with the setting and the race of the characters adds yet another rich layer to an already nuanced script. Rather than overwhelming it, the result is to enhance the evening. In fact, save for one very specific choice at the very end of the show that goes against the original text, this is a production that begs thoughtful conversation and spirited debate following its viewing.

St. Clair keeps it moving and interesting to watch. He adds some flourishes, most notably in his multi-media conclusion, that enhance rather than appear flashy. Each of the actors’ choices is consistent.

The evening belongs to Richardson, who takes a potentially overwrought role and keeps it vibrant, controlled, and spooky. Her haunted eyes bespeak the horrors visited upon her more than the words she uses to accuse Doctor Miranda. Her African-tinged accent keeps us aware of this potentially alien landscape, but her intensity forces us to remain engaged. Here is yet another great, must-see performance from this gifted actress.

No less impressive is the restrained offering from Traylor. His range is further expanded as he plays this fair-minded, torn lawyer. While he does occasionally jump to the level of Richardson, as the script requires, he uses a quiet strength to push his character’s agenda.

In his best performance since The Shadow Box, Scally shows a depth of understanding and character comprehension while bringing forth Miranda’s emotional rises and falls. His performances bend toward presentationalism, but this is less evident than ever before.

Christopher Haines’ scenic design is a strong recreation of a beach house, but it is his lighting and his and St. Clair’s video design that really raises the level of the evening.

I was quite happy to see so full an audience on the second Saturday night. The word is out this three-year old company is already the equal of the valley’s mid-range theatres, and in some ways may be advancing beyond some of those established companies.