THE BASICS: This is the American version of Patrick Hamilton’s Victorian era thriller, the basis for the film “Gaslight”. It’s part of the fourth season for the Playhouse of American Classics, which makes its home at the Buffalo Historical Society. This production runs through Sunday, February 13th. The play runs fully 2 ½ hours, a little longer actually, with its single intermission.
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: New York City, 1885. Jack and Bella Manningham, a five year married couple, have taken up residence in a beautiful old home, and seem, on the surface, to be living a fine, patrician life. But there are secrets being kept from Bella–large, important ones. And to make matters worse, she fears that she is going insane, like her mother before her. Bella’s life is turned upside down by the arrival, one night, of a strange visitor…
THE CAST: Diane Gaidry (a new face for me) makes a superb Bella. The role is very demanding and complex, but Ms. Gaidry literally inhabits it, and gets it just right, down to the smallest nuances. Jon Summers gives a respectable performance as Jack Manningham, but not an interior one. The secretive, driven Jack has a “capped” personality; he can speak quietly, affect gentleness, but he seethes, and must work hard at all times to control himself. We don’t get enough of this with Mr. Summers. Stepping in at the last moment for an ailing Keith Elkins, director Terrence McDonald is pretty darn good as Inspector Rough. Unfortunately, this long show is loaded with verbiage, and McDonald was unable to get “off book” in time for the show. Still he brings elements of quirkiness that suit the role just fine. Karen Ray Bailey and Bethany Sparacio play the servants, Elizabeth and Nancy. The former grows on you, the latter is just too over-the-top.
PRODUCTION VALUES: The Playhouse has come a long way since its early days, when everyone carried scripts, and the productions were truly spartan. In his welcoming speech, director McDonald described the present production as “a little bare bones”. But there is period furniture on stage, quite a few pieces, and we’ve also been treated to some nice period costumes. There are snatches of properly ominous recorded music. The lighting is pretty basic, but it’s adequate to the cause. This is theater-on-a-shoestring, after all.
SOME PARTING THOUGHTS: A single dramatic arch with no subplots, ANGEL STREET runs a good half hour too long. Some prudent editing would have helped to put us on the edges of our seats. For a play where psychological abuse is coin-of-the-realm, I can only agree with director McDonald when he marvels at the great good fortune of presenting it during the height of the Mo Hassan trial. The parallels are truly eerie! If you’ve forgotten ANGEL STREET/GASLIGHT or have never seen it, there will surely be no better time to do so than this!
*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)
ONE BUFFALO: This means trouble. A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both. Unless
there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are
the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.
TWO BUFFALOS: Passable, but no great shakes. Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic. Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.
THREE BUFFALOS: I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater. If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.
FOUR BUFFALOS: Both the production and the play are of high caliber. If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.
FIVE BUFFALOS: Truly superb–a rare rating. Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart. Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!