Whether dressed to the nines or in an outlandishly humiliating presidential monkey suit, he gives a portrayal of quiet, deadly grace, light-heartedly and attractively aware of his fate. With an enormous range of charm and beauty which served him well in his character’s former life, the shorter, lithe Murtadha identifies with the inner emotional life of his brutish brother. His characterization is enriched by the way he finally becomes aware of his murderous intent. Whenever Walton, physically big and powerful, lurches and careens, he takes over the audience with his energy.

The two performances, which pay homage to George and Lennie in John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” feed off each other in overlapping spirals of despair. The production team has put together a set and costumes that reek with the two brothers’ lives. The ritualized partitioning of the room and the relationship between the two figures - one a former card shark haunted by death, the other a wannabe hustler consumed by a need for love and a corresponding lack of self-esteem - haunts the action as their struggle descends into night. In an intimate space re-creating the size of the original off Broadway production, Martin Papazian’s direction doesn’t allow for a moment’s respite in the escalating chaos of jealousy and confusion. 'NCIS: LA' Showrunner on Giving the Team a 'Happily Ever After' in Series Finale

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