Stephen Rowe’s elegance and ferocity make him the biting anti-Christ in Albee’s strange morality tale of an unholy deal with the church. But two new cast members lift this staging of “Alice” to new heights of theatricality, wit and perverse sophistication.Īs the deceiving Miss Alice, Laila Robins, in what may well be the crowning performance of her career, gives Richard Thomas the glittering, alluring queen needed to dramatize and intensify Brother Julian’s temptation and sacrifice. The design team is the same, as are three of the five actors. Lamos’ new effort closely resembles his original “Alice,” which closed the first season of his successor, Michael Wilson, as artistic director at Hartford Stage. That would undo its power, and its mystery, which grows more fascinating with each viewing.

Not that Albee’s tale of seduction and martyrdom can ever be entirely clear. Much stronger dramatically and much clearer than it was at Hartford Stage, this lacerating, dark-edged yet oddly moving production takes Albee’s follow-up to “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” a large step closer to lucidity. Thanks to the power of its performances, and to the brilliance of its direction, this stylish and intelligent production deserves to shine in the bright lights of Broadway long after its current limited run. Mark Lamos’ revised and much improved version of his 1998 revival of Edward Albee’s tantalizingly enigmatic “Tiny Alice” opened Tuesday night at the off-Broadway 2econd Stage Theatre, literally a stone’s throw from the heart of Broadway.

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