What happens when fatuous, self-involved and selfish people with way too much money drink too much then talk politics and religion? Ayad Akhtar’s drama Disgraced, now playing at the McCarter’s Matthews Theatre in Princeton only until October 30, takes you there with no holds barred. Seldom have audience members shouted “Oh no!” at the stage several times or audibly gasped too many times to count at what the characters onstage had just said at the performance on October 20th.

Disgraced causes the elites to take a hard look at themselves as the narcissists they are, avoiding many hard truths that intellectual games cannot solve. Ayad Akhtar pulls no punches in this horrific tale of one very smart, very wise, and too honest man named Amir betrayed by Emily, his grotesque monster of a wife, Isaac, his wife’s duplicitous art agent, Isaac’s ice cold, back-stabbing wife Jory (who has been helped by Amir to rapidly attain dizzying heights in their law firm), and Amir’s idiot nephew, Abe.

Amir has a secret: he has presented himself as Indian, when he is in reality Pakistani and a lapsed Muslim, and thereby hangs this tale.

Maboud Ebrahimzadeh’s magnificent portrayal of Amir riveted the audience from first sight to last. This modern-day Othello was continuously beset upon by wife, friends, and relatives, seemingly eager to destroy him. First and foremost was Caroline Kaplan as Amir’s wife, Emily. If you were to combine Eve, Delilah, Jezebel, Messalina, Iago, and Satan together, you would still fall far, far short of the evil succubus named Emily. So pretty, so sweet and demure, she could eclipse Desdemona in innocence at first blush, only to become the deadly viper named Emily who through cupidity, seduction, and ceaseless whining, seduces her husband into destroying all that he has built up and his law career. Mr. Akhtar’s skill is pronounced in the way he almost makes a few misguided audience members feel sorry for this lying, obnoxious, and foolish woman. The other female in the cast, Austene Van as Jory, is every Muslim’s nightmare of the evil, amoral African-American American woman. Jory is richly and provocatively dressed, she smiles and chats with Amir, eating his rich food, while having played a part in destroying her mentor and friend. Jory’s Jewish husband Isaac, smarmily played by Kevin Isola, who makes the skin crawl so many times by his words and actions, that you will need Benadryl and an Epi-pen afterwards. Amir’s hapless and hopelessly lost nephew Abe is earnestly played by Adit Dileep. Abe is a stew of conflicting ideas and beliefs, unable to assimilate into the reality of being in The United States, as he yearns for a pure, religious existence. His own religious beliefs leave no room for anyone else’s.

Marcela Lorca’s direction and James Youmans set design worked well to further the story.

October 20 was Pride Night, when (ironically or not) pork and bacon were ­­among the foods served for the pre-theatre party for this play.

Ayad Akhtar’s relentless drama Disgraced is not for the faint of heart, or the easily shocked. It is not meant for children. If you are seeking an adult drama of a magnificent tragic figure pulled down by all those around him, then you must see Disgraced.  For further information, visit www.mccarter.org