Marin Theatre continues their 2026/27 season with a production of Harold Pinter’s classic 1979 drama Betrayal.
On the surface, this is a play about an affair, but it’s so much more. The question of who’s betraying whom and ultimately who is betraying themselves weaves its way throughout the terse script. It won Pinter both an Olivier Award and a New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award when it premiered in London and then New York.
The play is notable for many reasons, not the least of which is telling the story of the love triangle between Robert, Emma and Jerry in reverse chronology. This production, however, has one accolade most productions of Pinter’s work don’t. The director, Carey Perloff, knew Harold Pinter.
“When Carey speaks, she’s talking about a person she knew,” says Tasso Feldman, who is playing Jerry. “It makes you feel closer to the man. It sometimes feels as if Pinter is in the room.”
“Both Carey and her husband are such experts on Pinter,” notes Charlie Semine, who is playing Robert. “You get the sense that she’s been thinking about this play for 30 or 40 years.” He pauses before adding, “It’s so nice when the person steering the ship knows where they are going.”
Liz Sklar, who is playing Emma, agrees with her castmates, saying, “It’s a gift to work with Carey. She has unending stories; it’s like a piece of Pinter is in the room. Pinter never approached any play as if he knew the character better than the actor. He always looked for what was on the page. What is the most active choice possible that keeps you in the moment? Carey does that, too.”
“Active” and “Pinter” are not words often associated with each other, but all three actors are quick to point out that the infamous “Pinter pause” is not what people think.
“This is my first Pinter,” notes Semine. “I admit that I did think that all the pauses would make it boring, but it’s not. It’s natural speech. I’ve started noticing how often I pause.” He pauses for a moment to find the next phrase, then with realization says, “I just paused there, didn’t I? The pauses are not empty.”
“Pinter’s writing is deceptively simple,” says Feldman. “It’s structurally built so well, yet never disconnected from human emotion and thought.”
“The tension,” explains Sklar, “is in the space between the language.”
Semine adds, “When you fill the silence, they can speak volumes.”
‘Betrayal’ runs Oct. 22–Nov. 15 at Marin Theatre, 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. Tues–Sat, 7:30pm; Sat & Sun, 2pm. $15-$99. 415.388.5208. marintheatre.org.
