- B road way ▁production : ▁" V og el ’ s ▁choice ▁to ▁remember ▁Li ’ l ▁Bit ▁and ▁Pe ck ’ s ▁relationship ▁non chron olog ically ▁illustr ates ▁its ▁complexity , ▁and ▁allows ▁the ▁play w right ▁to ▁build ▁sympathy ▁for ▁a ▁man ▁who ▁might ▁otherwise ▁be ▁des pis ed ▁and ▁dismiss ed ▁as ▁a ▁child ▁mol ester .... V og el ▁builds ▁the ▁relationship ▁in ▁scenes ▁sculpt ed ▁with ▁spare ▁efficiency ▁by ▁Bro ka w ▁that ▁cry st all ize ▁moments ▁of ▁trust , ▁disappoint ment , ▁long ing , ▁and ▁desire ." ▁ ▁The ▁Cur tain Up ▁rev iewer ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁Off - B road way ▁production ▁wrote : ▁" M s . ▁Vog el ▁has ▁achieved ▁the ▁seem ingly ▁impossible : ▁A ▁story ▁about ▁a ▁disturb ing ▁subject , ▁ped oph ilia , ▁that ▁is ▁as ▁fun ny -- yes , ▁really ,-- as ▁it ▁is ▁disturb ing . ▁Li ' l ▁Bit ▁( M ary - Lou ise ▁Parker ) ▁and ▁Uncle ▁Pe ck ▁( David ▁Mor se ) ▁are ▁painted ▁with ▁the ▁del icate ▁br ush ▁stro kes ▁of ▁a ▁sum i ▁painting , ▁more ▁subt le ▁than ▁sens ational , ▁and ▁as ▁un st ere ot yp ical ▁a ▁victim ▁and ▁victim izer ▁as ▁L ol ita ▁and ▁Hum bert ▁Hum bert ▁( from ▁N ab ok ov ' s ▁L ol ita ▁which ▁the ▁play w right ▁cred its ▁as ▁her ▁insp iration ). .. Before ▁I