Aces at Signal Ensemble Theatre | Theater review

Raffish filmmakers Bob Rafelson and Hal Ashby, creating loosely structured celebrations of male underdogs, had a strong hand in establishing the ’70s zeitgeist. Set squarely in that decade, Steinhagen’s atmospheric new play owes a debt to these faintly disreputable forebears. The story of a group of loser poker dealers, trying unsuccessfully to leverage their way out of a downwardly mobile situation by scamming the house, Aces wagers heavily on the charm of its downbeat, anti–Ocean’s Eleven mood. Its payoff is modest but real.

Once he introduces the charismatic new lady dealer Samantha (Simone Roos), Steinhagen doesn’t know exactly where to take his profane characters, opting for a rather hokey redemption plot. But Signal’s tight ensemble makes up for the gaps in the script. Crotchety Lloyd (Vincent Lonergan), tough broad Linda (Elizabeth Bagby), close-lipped Garrett (Aaron Snook) and fast-talking Duke (Joseph Stearns) all prove more memorable than their sketchy characterizations might suggest. While Steinhagen, who also appears as reformed gambler Jack, mostly pens serviceable, story-advancing scenes, he has his moments: A brief encounter between Garrett and Samantha achieves a cryptic poetry. It may not have the flash of a Mametian caper drama, but Aces’ moody scenario has a surprising staying power.