This compelling performance is only to be topped in the second act by Marks himself, now playing Walker's father, Ned, a self-contained genius waiting to be freed like a genie from his bottle. Alicia Hoge is persuasive in the less demanding role of Nan in the first act, but really comes to life in the second act as she essays the role of Lina. This is a Southern belle who doesn't know when to stop. Greenberg breaks the stereotype by making her as smart as she is sexy. What really works in the relationship between Lina and Ned is our belief that both of them are really in love with Theo.
Frustration is an aphrodisiac for the new lovers.
Clearly, Lina's mental collapse is related to Theo's premature death. Jason Adams provides comic relief as the well-adjusted Pip. He knows just the right way to convey humility without it seeming false. Adams is equally compelling as Pip's dad, Theo, fashioning a character of far greater confidence, if not outright arrogance. We have to believe that Theo's got something both Lina and Ned want, and Adams pull it off.