Some shows take time to reel you in. Others never do.

The Whipping Man grabs you by the throat almost instantly and never lets go. In the opening scene of Matthew Lopez’s terrific play, a wounded Confederate soldier returns to his abandoned Virginia plantation where his gangrenous leg is amputated by the loyal ex-slave who served his Jewish family for years.

The scene is horrific and chilling, but never gratuitous under Clive Cholerton’s careful direction. The scene also works on two levels: It immediately gets your attention and sets the stage for an absorbing 90 minutes of theater you shouldn’t miss.

The Whipping Man isn’t a feel-good play. Although there is some humor sprinkled throughout, you won’t leave the theater humming or skipping to your car. But you will leave feeling satisfied after having seen a top-shelf production punctuated by the show’s exceptional three-man cast. Lopez has crafted a juicy yarn about faith, dark secrets, the horrors of slavery and how dark secrets have a tendency to inevitably creep to light and wreck lives in the process.

It’s the last day of the Civil War as a badly injured Caleb (Nick Duckhart) comes home with a bullet hole in his leg. He begs his long-time black slave, Simon (John Archie), to nurse him back to health. While Simon is more than happy to oblige, John (Brandon Morris), a Nat Turner-like former slave, doesn’t understand how Simon can be so kind to a man who owned — and whipped — him. But Simon has long since adopted his Jewish faith, including celebrating Passover and praying in Hebrew even though he can’t read.

“I could write the history of this house,” Simon bellows in defiance.

“If you could write,” John replies angrily.

Over the next two days, the lives — and fates — of all three men will change forever as family skeletons are unearthed and long-held truths are revealed.

All three actors turn in bravura performances. Morris is particularly mesmerizing as he recalls the days he was sent to the Whipping Man, vividly described as a man who reeked of whiskey and sweat. With a thundering stomp and clap, Morris skillfully commands the stage and will make you feel his character’s pain much like Denzel Washington did in the movie Glory as that single tear slowly spilled down his cheek.

As Caleb and John, Duckhart and Morris enjoy a witty, rat-a-tat-tat banter that is almost the male equivalent of Rory and Lorelai Gilmore on the old TV show, Gilmore Girls. And Archie is magnificent in a role that requires him to morph from loyal, Uncle Tom-ish ex-slave to an angry free man desperately searching for his place in a brave new world.

Meanwhile, Tim Bennett’s dilapidated plantation set design is spot-on. Lighting and sound effects are also perfectly utilized, particularly during the grisly amputation scene that will leave you feeling horrified — and glad you bought a ticket to see The Whipping Man.

The Whipping Man
A
Where: The Caldwell Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton
When: Through Aug. 30
Tickets: $38-$47.50
The verdict: A thoroughly absorbing and brooding saga that represents local theater at its best.