Theresa Rebeck's stints scripting for TV crime dramas such as Smith and Law & Order pay off big-time in her new play,
Mauritius, a gimlet-eyed look at the seedy underbelly of stamp collecting. Yes, philately -- that innocent pastime beloved of geezers and geeks -- isn't as genteel as you may believe.

Summoning echoes of both Proof (damaged younger daughter resents the seemingly well-adjusted sibling who escaped the family maw) and American Buffalo (petty grifter tries to pull a con), Rebeck has crafted a caper that's equally comic and captivating. She reveals just enough about her quintet of characters to keep you guessing as to their motives and capabilities, and leaves just enough questi[...]