Theatre in Review: A Queen for a Day (Theatre at St. Clement's)Playwright Michael Ricigliano, Jr., really knows how to write a crackling confrontation, and, before it trails off into potboiler territory, A Queen for a Day is a sadistic psychological battle that will keep you in a tingling state of suspense. The title is a reference to the device known as a proffer letter, which is sometimes offered to criminals by the Justice Department in exchange for information. According to the website FindLaw, "If you enter into one of these agreements, you will proffer information orally in a proffer or queen for a day 'session' attended by you, your attorney, the assistant US attorney (AUSA), and one or more federal agents...You should think of a proffer session as a sneak preview in which you show the federal authorities what you can bring to the table if they cut a deal with you." The focus of this particular session is Giovanni "Nino" Cinquimani, a mobster, whose brother, Pasquale, runs the only Mafia clan in the Tristate Areas not yet compromised by a government investigation. Nino's lawyer, Sanford Weiss, has arranged this little get-together; the idea is that Nino will testify against his brother, earn immunity, and possibly even enter the federal witness protection program. Of course, Nino is tense about the possibility of betraying his brother and reaping the consequences, which could involve a cement overcoat. But as Sanford keeps stressing, this isn't opening night, only the out-of-town tryout; as long as Nino restrains himself from mentioning any crimes that have witnesses, he cannot be convicted for anything he says. There is also the little matter of Nino's escrow accounts, into which Sanford hides mob money, taking a cool five percent off the top for himself. Marching into this already-fraught situation is Patricia Cole, the AUSA, whose icy demeanor and tart remarks make thoroughly clear that she is not impressed by Nino's potential decision to turn state's evidence. She is even less impressed by the first few tidbits of information that Nino offers. ("You are so in the dark, you are almost pitiful," she says, insinuating that Pasquale kept his brother at arm's length.) She also shakes up Nino and Sanford by revealing her knowledge of those escrow accounts. Instead, she begins to methodically, ruthlessly question Nino's intentions: Exactly why has he made the decision to offer evidence against his brother? I'm not going to divulge the reason, but I can report that it is a shocker, especially in the context of mob family life, and it is revealed only after Patricia has probed Nino's psyche like a surgeon cutting through nerve endings. It's an entertaining duel between two skilled actors: As Patricia, the one-named Portia delivers her lines in a voice layered with savage irony and an impatience to get to the heart of the matter; the effect is like a drill boring through steel. As Nino, David Proval (a veteran of the HBO series The Sopranos), squirms under Patricia's questioning, revealing his motives in alternating tones of pride, shame, and fury. The first act climaxes in one of those switcheroos that were so popular with thriller writers of the '60s and '70s: In effect, you haven't seen what you think you've seen. This cues the entrance of Pasquale, played by Vincent Pastore (another Sopranos regular), who turns up with an agenda of his own, which includes plugging up any leaks in the family. The second half of A Queen for a Day is frankly unbelievable, as Ricigliano piles on the plot twists. Still, even when its credibility goes south, the play is good pulpy fun for fans of crime fiction, and the cast -- including Pastore, who brings unassailable made-man authority to his crime boss role -- can't be beat. (David Deblinger, who plays Sanford, is kept mostly on the sidelines as the other characters have at each other, tooth and nail.) Still, it's easy to imagine A Queen for a Day benefiting from a more salubrious set of circumstances. It would play much more strongly in a more intimate theatre -- say one of the venues at Theatre Row or 59E59 -- especially one with better acoustics than Theatre at St. Clement's. John Gould Rubin's direction misses some of the play's nuances; the killer finale would benefit from a less abrupt blackout, allowing us to fully take in what has just happened. Andreea Mincic's setting feels oddly unfinished, even for an empty warehouse, and the doorway at stage right partially blocks the sightlines. Then again, Isabella F. Byrd's lighting subtly rearranges the space as the stakes becomes deadly serious and Bobby Frederick Tilley's costumes seem right for each character. Leon Rothenberg's sound design is confined to a handful of cues, many of them traffic noises. A Queen for a Day wants nothing more than to deliver 90 minutes of suspense, and it does for a good portion of its running time. It should provide a fine reunion for Sopranos fans, and a cool night out for aficionados of Mafia mayhem, at least in fictional form. -- David Barbour 
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