Deadly deal shines at California Stage

Ever had a deadly deal sprung upon you? Guy Haines, a main character in Craig Warner’s Strangers on a Train has, and it’s pretty dramatic. Elisabeth Nunziato directs The Actor’s Workshop of Sacramento’s production of this adaptation from Patricia Highsmith’s 1950 novel, which also spawned a 1951 film. Guy (Dan Fagan) meets Charles Bruno (Eason Donner) on a train heading southwest. Bruno gets Guy drunk and they agree to murder each other’s problems. In Bruno’s case, it’s his father; in Guy’s, his wife. Bruno fulfills his end, but what will Guy do? Donner proves an athlete with Bruno’s Oedipal complex, and the Jekyll and Hyde homage lets the two leads shine even brighter. Guy’s second wife, Anne (Anna Shah), and a talented supporting cast keep the action fresh.

Strangers on a Train; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. $13-$15. The Actor’s Workshop of Sacramento at the California Stage, 1723 25th Street; (916) 501-6104; www.actinsac.com. Through October 9.