Abandonment is a
passionate, fresh ghost story
Mounting a ghost story,
especially one that moves from one time period (the present) to the
Victorian era (1865) is a tricky enterprise to tackle on stage. It
becomes even harder on The Actors Workshop Theatres small storefront
stage. But under director David Kropps clever direction, Abandonment
works nicely. British novelist, Kate Atkinsons first play is
part ghost story, part spoken novel, part exposition featuring interesting
female characters from two time periods that eventually collide. Christopher
Scholls set design aptly speaks Victorian mansion.
This Midwest Premiere Equity
show is set in Canada and it parallels the story of two troubled women
who inhabit the same house 140 years apart. The modern historian,
Elizabeth (Rebekka James) comes from a dysfunctional family where
the now deceased father abused the mother and where her half sister
Kitty (Laura Jones-Macknin) acts out her pain by being promiscuous.
We see the angelic Agnes
(Marisa Sanders), candle in had, haunt the present from her Victorian
roots. She was a world traveler yearning to freedom and emancipation
but settling for being a governess in an unloving family. The Victorian
mansion ties the two women together. Each search for happiness and
each fear abandonment.
Elizabeth was abandoned
at birth and found in a mens washroom. She is obsessed with
finding her roots. She hires a wood guy to fix the woodworm,
dry rot and deathwatch beetle in the houses floors. The handyman,
Callum (William J. Watt), is a New Age modern hippy type free spirit
who reminds me of the guy who spent years painting Murphy Browns
house in the TV show.
Add Susie (Kathy Holahan),
Elizabeths lesbian best friend and a visit from Ina, Elizabeth
and Kittys negative, nasty mother (Marssie Mencotti) and the
family secrets slowly are revealed.
Director Kropp deftly moves
from each era with splendid, quick blackouts. We see Elizabeth have
her picture taken by the womanizer Alec (James D. Farruggio) and presto,
flash of light, a blackout and were back in 1865 with the Alec
becoming Merrick, the womanizing husband of the houses owner,
Laetitia (Laura Jones-Macknin). Only Marisa Sanders (Agnes) and Rebbka
James (Elizabeth) play one character. All others smartly move from
modern to Victorian with appropriate dress and period accent.
Abandonment is a
modern drama with mystery elements, part Gothic romance dealing with
love and loss, grief and joy, time and space as parallel characters
and storylines interweave seamlessly until they collide. Precision
staging and quick pacing keeps the tension mounting.
Playwright Atkinsons
work is heavy on ideas and exposition both with modern subjects such
as Chaos Theory, Genetic Design, Karma and Animal Spiritualism in
a witty, funny discourse. Add the Victorian discussion of rationalism,
scientific discovery, evolution and atheism, historic determinism
with Victorian spiritualism and we learn much of the prevailing ideas
from each era.
The dominant theme of abandonment
ties each character together as we experience their angst as they
struggle to live in the present and let go of past incidents that
still haunt them.
This is a finely constructed
work, filled with intelligent, empathetic characters bound up in a
enticing mystery worthy of a modern ghost story. Laura Jones-Macknin,
Rebekka James and Marisa Sanders highlight a terific cast.
Abandonment is an
ambitious blend of modern drama and Victorian mystery that delivers
sophisticated entertainment. Youll like this passionate, vibrant
play.
- Tom Williams (January
18, 2006)
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