[NEohioPAL]Rave Review, TURN OF THE SCREW at Actors' Summit

Wed Oct 12 08:54:18 PDT 2005

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THEATER 

Spare performance of James' classic is a turn for better for  theater group 

Tuesday, October 11, 2005       

Linda Eisenstein

Special to The Plain Dealer 
Two actors, bare stage, no props: That's the budget-friendly formula that has 
 made Jeffrey Hatcher's adaptation of Henry James' atmospheric ghost story 
"Turn  of the Screw" a staple in U.S. regional theaters. It's the theatrical 
equivalent  of a high-wire walk, where the actors have to hold your attention at 
every  moment.  
Luckily, Actors' Summit director A. Neil Thackaberry and his dynamic duo,  
lovely Sally Groth and cadaverous Alex Cikra, squeeze every ounce of suspense  
out of Hatcher's two-handed retelling. That's a good thing, because the vehicle 
 itself hits some bumps in the road.  
"Turn of the Screw" is in the form of a Gothic tale. In 1872 England, an  
innocent young governess gets hired at a creepy manor house by a mysterious  
employer and promptly starts seeing threatening ghostly figures. But James'  
story, a masterpiece of indirection, always has been about the shadow side of  
sexuality, a cautionary tale about the forbidden and "the unspeakable": the  
sexual corruption of children.  

In Thackaberry's production, you can't help but read the double meanings  
early on. From the faintly corrupt way Cikra licks his lips as the children's  
uncle, to Groth's feverish "Jane Eyre" fantasies about her employer, to a  
child's hesitation at the word "touch," we pretty much figure out that what's  been 
haunting this house is creepier than a mere ghost. Early on, that helps  
create tension. But as the play continues, it also makes us get ahead of the  
story at times. That's when it's easy to get restless from the prosaic qualities  
of Hatcher's narration-heavy script - its diary format bogs the play down.  
Nevertheless, the two actors do a handsome job with the material. Groth  
always has been an actress who seems illuminated from within. Under the stark  
lighting in her black gown, her face fairly incandesces with her emotional  
discoveries, from a quicksilver passion to protect her young charges to her  
battles with fear and dread.  
Dressed in a formal frock coat, Cikra plays all the other characters. It's a  
delight to see the distinct characterizations he makes moving from secretive  
employer to hearty female housekeeper to 10-year-old boy - by subtle shifts 
of  attitude and diction. In the story-theater format, he even becomes the 
sound  effects, from a horse's whinny to a whispered "footfall" as Groth moves 
about  the haunted house.  
MaryJo Alexander's period costumes and the uncredited dramatic lighting set  
off the performances like the jewels they are.  
Eisenstein is a playwright in Cleveland. Contact this writer at: 
_entertainment at plaind.com_ (mailto:entertainment at plaind.com)   
reprinted with permission.  
For tickets call 330-342-0800 _www.actorssummit.org_ 
(http://www.actorssummit.org)  

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<DIV class=3Dkicker><B>
<DIV class=3Dkicker><B>THEATER</B> </DIV></B></DIV>
<H1 class=3Dred>
<H1 class=3Dred>Spare performance of James' classic is a turn for better for=
=20
theater group </H1></H1>
<DIV class=3Dsubhead>
<DIV class=3Dsubhead><B></B></DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dbyln>Tuesday, October 11, 2005     =20
<DIV>
<DIV>Linda Eisenstein</DIV></DIV><B><B>Special to The Plain Dealer</B></B>=20
</DIV>
<P>Two actors, bare stage, no props: That's the budget-friendly formula that=
 has=20
made Jeffrey Hatcher's adaptation of Henry James' atmospheric ghost story "T=
urn=20
of the Screw" a staple in U.S. regional theaters. It's the theatrical equiva=
lent=20
of a high-wire walk, where the actors have to hold your attention at every=20
moment. </P>
<P>Luckily, Actors' Summit director A. Neil Thackaberry and his dynamic duo,=
=20
lovely Sally Groth and cadaverous Alex Cikra, squeeze every ounce of suspens=
e=20
out of Hatcher's two-handed retelling. That's a good thing, because the vehi=
cle=20
itself hits some bumps in the road. </P>
<P>"Turn of the Screw" is in the form of a Gothic tale. In 1872 England, an=20
innocent young governess gets hired at a creepy manor house by a mysterious=20
employer and promptly starts seeing threatening ghostly figures. But James'=20
story, a masterpiece of indirection, always has been about the shadow side o=
f=20
sexuality, a cautionary tale about the forbidden and "the unspeakable": the=20
sexual corruption of children. </P>
<DIV>
<P>In Thackaberry's production, you can't help but read the double meanings=20
early on. From the faintly corrupt way Cikra licks his lips as the children'=
s=20
uncle, to Groth's feverish "Jane Eyre" fantasies about her employer, to a=20
child's hesitation at the word "touch," we pretty much figure out that what'=
s=20
been haunting this house is creepier than a mere ghost. Early on, that helps=
=20
create tension. But as the play continues, it also makes us get ahead of the=
=20
story at times. That's when it's easy to get restless from the prosaic quali=
ties=20
of Hatcher's narration-heavy script - its diary format bogs the play down. <=
/P>
<P>Nevertheless, the two actors do a handsome job with the material. Groth=20
always has been an actress who seems illuminated from within. Under the star=
k=20
lighting in her black gown, her face fairly incandesces with her emotional=20
discoveries, from a quicksilver passion to protect her young charges to her=20
battles with fear and dread. </P>
<P>Dressed in a formal frock coat, Cikra plays all the other characters. It'=
s a=20
delight to see the distinct characterizations he makes moving from secretive=
=20
employer to hearty female housekeeper to 10-year-old boy - by subtle shifts=20=
of=20
attitude and diction. In the story-theater format, he even becomes the sound=
=20
effects, from a horse's whinny to a whispered "footfall" as Groth moves abou=
t=20
the haunted house. </P>
<P>MaryJo Alexander's period costumes and the uncredited dramatic lighting s=
et=20
off the performances like the jewels they are. </P>
<P>Eisenstein is a playwright in Cleveland. Contact this writer at: <A=20
href=3D"mailto:entertainment at plaind.com">entertainment at plaind.com</A> </P>
<P>reprinted with permission. </P>
<P><STRONG><FONT size=3D3>For tickets call 330-342-0800 </FONT></STRONG><A=20
href=3D"http://www.actorssummit.org"><STRONG><FONT=20
size=3D3>www.actorssummit.org</FONT></STRONG></A></P>
<P> </P>
<P> </P><BR clear=3Dall></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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