Kevin Kenneally as Ben Hubbard with his sister Regina Giddens, played by Linda Reiter

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“Greed is good,” “Wall Street’s” Gordon Gekko maintains. But for the Hubbard family in Lillian Hellman’s “Little Foxes,” greed isn’t good; it’s fatal.

Predatory philistines, the Hubbards are closing in on the business transaction of their careers: to bring a cotton mill to their sleepy Alabama town. But Horace Giddens (Ted Hoerl), a key investor, steadfastly refuses to commit his money; he’s reticent to partner with wife Regina (Linda Reiter) and her morally compromised brothers, Oscar (Don Bender) and Ben (Kevin Kenneally) Hubbard. Shady dealings and avaricious mind games ensue.

Brandon Bruce’s direction effectively spotlights the perilous chess game of Hubbard family life. Kenneally’s oily, ominous charm is a wicked pleasure; Eileen Niccolai as sister-in-law Birdie is a sad reminder of the cultured civility the family lacks. But Reiter’s most devastating moments occur when her character says little or nothing; she understands the power of silence. (Lisa Buscani)

At the Victory Gardens Greenhouse, 2257 N. Lincoln, (773)404-7336. Through March 8