“People will forget unless you save the stories.” With this axiom, emotionally damaged Scott saves thousands of newspapers in the cluttered house he shares with his brother Danny in the Northern Kentucky University production of Thy Brother's Keeper. But the more stories Scott saves, the harder it is for both of them to escape their own secrets from their horrific childhood.

        This odd new play by respected playwright and NKU theater professor Ken Jones paints a dark portrait of the cycle of familial abuse.

        In the first act, we meet the Bentley boys during World War II. Scott, in his 30s, has already withdrawn from reality, but younger Danny wants to enlist in the army and have a shot at a normal life. Bitter Scott will never allow Danny to flee.

        The second act takes place 50 years later. Age has taken its toll, and predictably, the horror stories from long ago are brought to light as the brothers take one last stab at dealing with their terrible truths.

        There is a lot of repetition in Mr. Jones' dialogue, particularly in the first-act arguments. The second-act dialogue also sounds more natural and shows flashes of needed humor.

        A few plot points don't make sense. It's hard to believe Scott was ever a success in business; Danny seems to have selective memory lapses; and Scott's constant offense at hearing mild swear words doesn't ring true’— especially after 50 years of it. Still, Mr. Jones does nail the futility of these desperate people.

        In the difficult role of Scott, Andrew Bernhard is actually more believable as a doddering 80-year-old than he is as the disturbed 30-year-old. Mr. Bernhard's choices are correct, but his youth works against him in creating the vital distinction that he is Danny's older brother and pseudo father figure.

        Jason Cooney delivers a fine performance as Danny. He comes across in the first act as a decent guy who just wants out. In the second act, he is an old man in physical and mental pain who just wants to know how he got where he is.

        Effective among the supporting cast are Bridgette Whittlesey and Rachael Rogers as flashback women, and Joshua Beshears as a creepy monster of a father.

        Director Samuel J. Zachary maintains a mostly rapid-fire pace on Ronald A. Shaw's thoughtful set that focuses on scrims that contain many of the memory scenes.

        Thy Brother's Keeper, through Nov. 4, NKU, (859) 572-5464.

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