Those who went to see the play, "Tell," at PURE Theatre Friday night were in for several surprises, one of which was that the small black box theater space has been expanded into an adjoining room.
The new, atmospheric set came complete with a wrought-iron chandelier, lit candles, an Oriental rug, a fancy armoire and a four poster bed arranged in front of seats on risers.

This well-appointed hotel room contrasts with the lives of a father and his grown daughter who meet there after not seeing each other for many years.

Written by Rodney Lee Rogers, co-founder of PURE Theatre, the two-person drama's title is a term that refers to a gesture or an expression that causes a person to give away his poker hand.

Rogers, who has said he is extremely influenced by playwright David Mamet, draws two fascinating characters who will never find any happiness in their pitiful lives because of their fatal character flaws.

Absolutely first-rate is Jimmy Hagar as the father who has just gotten out of prison a long term for a white collar crime.

Playing tunes such as "As Time Goes By," on his ancient saxophone that his daughter, Abigail, has brought with her, Hagar comes across as the ultimate con man. He is totally convincing as he tells of his discovery of Jesus when in prison.

Abigail, in her early 30s, was only about 16 when he was sent away and stopped visiting him many years ago. She sets it up so that they "accidentally" meet on the street in their hometown. Wanting to exact revenge on him for abandoning her and for allowing her mother to die of bee stings when he could have prevented it, Abigail is a tax shelter specialist for a German bank in New York.

She asks her father to read the number of a Swiss bank account knowing that since he has a photographic memory, he will remember it automatically. She tells him the account holds $250,000, and she will wait to see if he goes after it.

Gradually, we see why Abigail is bitter and that she hates herself as she remarks to William, "There's more of you in me than you thought." Sharon Graci was superb as the young woman who knows she will be caught for the money she has stolen.

The intriguing 75-minute play is still somewhat of a work-in-progress.