An Act of the Imagination, Hedgerow Theatre

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An Act of the Imagination, Hedgerow Theatre

POSTED: Friday, October 26, 2007, 7:25 PM

Filed Under: Arts Theater

through Nov. 17, Hedgerow Theatre, 64 Rose Valley Rd., Rose Valley, 610-565-4211.

Instead of their usual autumnal Agatha Christie murder mystery, Hedgerow Theatre has discovered a seldom-seen thriller, An Act of the Imagination by Bernard Slade, that neatly fits the bill. Zoran Kovcic — who as a set designer has become an expert at handsome drawing room sets, this one in warm umber tones — plays charmingly addled author Arthur. Wife Julia (Penelope Reed) has just read his latest manuscripts, not a mystery like his past successes; Signs of Life chronicles an affair between a young woman and an older rich man. “Why is your book so damnably believable?” Julia asks, wondering if Arthur’s exorcising his demons in print.
Just when the chitchat grows tedious — after meeting Arthur’s ne’er-do-well son Simon (Anthony Marsala), awestruck new editor (Erika Salomon) and neighborly local detective Burchitt (Tom McCarthy) — an hysterical stranger played by Alana Gerlach bursts in, and the story takes off. To where, a responsible critic dare not say, lest the play’s many twists and turns (perhaps one too many for its own good, by the play’s last of several endings) be spoiled.

Director Janet Kelsey’s production soars through capable acting. Kovcic and Reed are a rare pair of actors, real-life spouses playing an onstage couple convincingly (surprising, how often offstage chemistry deflates under lights). The script demands that Reed execute a jaw-dropping revelation in Act II, which she pulls off flawlessly. McCarthy’s folksy vibe hides an agile mind, and the cast’s younger actors support the play’s surprises effectively.
Kelsey missteps with some double casting that confuses the already complex plot needlessly — we spend a scene wondering why no one recognizes the character from earlier, before finally accepting that the new character is not the former disguised — but the play’s convolutions still succeed, shocking last Sunday’s audience into gasps and nervous giggles as the details unraveled.
I can’t reveal how or why, however, so if you’re pining for some good old-fashioned, dry-humored British mystery, trust me and check out An Act of the Imagination.

See Also:Hedgerow

Hazel

Posted 2010-04-06 07:34:12

that must be an amazing thing to watch right there.

Posted by mark cofta @ 7:25 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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