By TERESA FITZGIBBONS • Special to the Guide

A stamp may seem an everyday thing to most people, but in the South Carolina Repertory Company’s new production of Theresa Rebeck’s “Mauritius,” it’s the gateway to a high-stakes crime caper with a charismatic cast.

“It’s a play that puts people on their heels with its charms,” said associate producer Blake White. “On one hand, it’s very aggressive, but on the other, it draws you in with its suspense. It’s something people around here haven’t seen before.”

“Mauritius” involves the drama of a dysfunctional family. Following the death of their mother, two estranged sisters, Jackie (Ellie Clark) and Mary (Peggy Trecker), come into possession of a valuable stamp collection that includes the crown jewel for collectors. Conflicts arise when the financially strapped Jackie wants to sell the collection that Mary wants to keep for sentimental reasons.

The play steers Jackie into a murky world of seedy characters, including Sterling (Matt Bridges), a high-stakes collector with a violent streak; Phillip (Waldon Durham), a stamp shop owner with a thirst for revenge and an agenda of his own; and the wheeling and dealing Dennis (Blake White). Each wants to claim the collection for his own.

“It’s got some unexpected twists,” said director Tom Evans. “It seems to be going one way, and then suddenly it veers in another direction. It’s kind of like a Warner Bros. crime thriller.”

The drama by Rebeck, best known for “The Scene” and “Bad Dates,” draws upon serious themes such as the nature of obsession, the loss of a parent, inheritance conflicts, and the decision whether to focus on the pain in the past or to live in the present.