East Coast Theater

The story of a young girl "recovering" memories of sexual abuse is nothing new, nor is the possibility that the accusations may be unfounded. But what if the accused parent is an aspiring politician with links to a Scientology-like religion? And what if the girl's therapist may have cloudy motives of her own? And what if the father confesses, regardless of whether the accusations are even true? These are just a few of the twists that J.B. Miller's engrossing "White Lies" finds in what could have been a predictable story.

Miller doesn't manage to answer all of these questions, but he deftly keeps the audience's sympathies and confidence on edge: You expect the telegenic demeanor of the candidate, Merritt Tate (David Burke), to come under question, but even his most trivial statements come under question. The subsequent testimony of Tate's wife (Carolyn Popp) and daughter (Valerie Stodghill) create more questions than answers for Avery Hill (Caroline Strong), the hapless doctor left to figure out what really happened.

This misdirection makes for rich plot twists, and director (David Millman) isn't afraid to use long silences to draw the viewer into the mysteries within mysteries. However, Miller paints himself into a dramatic corner by making virtually every scene a dialogue between Dr. Hill and one other character. She is portrayed throughout as a rather humorless inquisitor; this constant psychological distance may be accurate, but it makes her less of a character and more of a plot device.

The four central characters play off each other very well, with Burke creating a particularly memorable glimpse at the (possible) vapidity of (possible) evil. Michael Ornstein adds some welcome relief as the investigator hoping to ditch the psychological and find a good old-fashioned solution to the problem. And even if one or two threads remain loose at the end, Miller ends "White Lies" with an arresting image that absolves very few characters and leaves audiences assuming something pretty close to the worst.