Invictus Theatre’s “Topdog/Underdog,” with Mikha’el Amin/Photo: Through Line Studios

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I first saw Suzan-Lori Parks’ “Topdog/Underdog” in 2022, at the John Golden Theatre on Broadway. As the synopsis intends, I went into the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, not knowing what to expect. And I would give anything to relive the experience of seeing this play again for the first time. That’s the kind of play this is. A gripping thriller/dark comedy that will not let you go until the final breath of the play.

Now, it is one of my all-time favorite plays, and Invictus Theatre’s production is a brilliant example of how to handle this intense two-hander.

And no, I will not apologize for the onslaught of card-related puns.

Invictus Theatre’s “Topdog/Underdog,” with Mikha’el Amin and DeMorris Burrows/Photo: Through Line Studios

On its face, “Topdog” is the story of two brothers—Lincoln and Booth. Yes, that Lincoln and Booth. They’re living together (temporarily) in Booth’s shabby one-room rental in a boardinghouse. Booth desperately wants to follow in his brother’s footsteps as a three-card monte hustler, a life Lincoln has left behind. Now Lincoln plays, well, the Lincoln in an arcade game where guests “shoot” him, reenacting the assassination.

Yet, that’s not the play’s ace in the hole. Parks’ play is a gritty fable about race and class disparities. It’s also about trauma, complicated family dynamics, and how we cope with the hand we are dealt. Truly, it’s an all-encompassing metaphor about the card game of life.

Presented by Invictus Theatre at Windy City Playhouse, 3014 West Irving Park, through March 31. Tickets available at invictustheatreco.com.