NERVES DETRACT FROM LTN'S HAUNTING JULIA
Theater Babe Says: Go . . . But Be Prepared for a Relationship Drama Rather than a Thriller
Haunting Julia is advertised as a ghost story, but there is little eeriness in The Little Theatre of Norfolk's production of Sir Alan Ayckbourn's play. Rather, the primary focus is on the relationships the characters had with Julia (deceased at the time the action begins) rather than on supernatural spookiness. While the actors' nerves sabotaged the performance the Theater Babe attended, there were glimpses that suggest a meaningful human drama exists beneath the anxiety which compromised that production.
The title character, Julia, refers to a nineteen year old prodigy who died a dozen years before the play opens, allegedly from an accidental overdose. Her father, Joe Lukin, has never accepted that explanation and purchased the apartment building in which she resided at the time of her death and where her body was found, as well as the adjoining premises to convert them into a combination museum, rehearsal space and shrine. Joe invites Andy Rollinson, Julia's former boyfriend, to the center and during the visit reveals that Joe believes Julia has been haunting him. Joe also invites Ken Chase, a psychic, to visit the center in an attempt to resolve his lingering doubts about the circumstances surrounding her death. As the play progresses, we learn about Julia's relationships and about her perspective about her own genius.
The LTN production gets off to a slow start. Andy, played by Ryan McIntire, spends long minutes doing nothing but wandering around one-half of the set (the other half is roped off until later) and listening to the museum recording that describes the exhibit. Nothing in his reaction pulls us into the situation and our attention wanders. On opening night, Joel King, as Joe, struggled with his dialogue in the early scenes and because Mr. McIntire also froze, it was exceedingly uncomfortable – both for the audience as well for the actors stranded onstage. Perhaps because of the difficulties inherent in managing flubbed lines, Mr. McIntire and Mr. King failed to generate the tension needed to drive the plot forward and we never fully engaged. Later in the show, however, each actor delivers monologues that show depth and real emotion ... and suggest they can deliver a better overall performance than was displayed on opening night. Philip Odango does an admirable job of overcoming the obstacles the playwright created within the character – we are asked to believe that he is both a psychic and that he chose to wait more than a decade to reveal certain important information – and is likeable as Ken Chase, though as a whole his performance would be immeasurably improved by infusing it with additional energy.
It is in the climactic scene that the paranormal elements erupt. The effects are clever, but they're disproportionately short compared to the long monologues that lead up to that point. As a result, the emphasis in this production is placed upon the human, rather than the supernatural. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does create a disconnect from the creative marketing that LTN has used to promote this production.
It is in the climactic scene that the paranormal elements erupt. The effects are clever, but they're disproportionately short compared to the long monologues that lead up to that point. As a result, the emphasis in this production is placed upon the human, rather than the supernatural. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does create a disconnect from the creative marketing that LTN has used to promote this production.
Directors Kathy Hinson and Tucker Nelson choose to follow the original format and permit the show to run in its entirety (1 hour, 50 minutes) without an intermission, with mixed results. Ideally, the show would generate such tension and such suspense that an intermission would interrupt the flow and disrupt the emotion building throughout the piece. The danger is that if the tension doesn't exist, the audience becomes restless and even less vested in the piece; almost two hours is a long time to sit in one place when we are not enthralled by the drama.
The set, designed by Matthew Gorris and dressed by Jennifer Murphy, is well-conceived and executed. The lighting, designed by B Butterbaugh, with the exception of the climactic moment is largely stagnant and wastes the opportunity to create a mysterious, spooky atmosphere. For example, when Joe plays the recording again and again to demonstrate the changes that he believes were made by Julia, different lighting would help us to focus on the elements Joe wants us to hear and would add to the strangeness that the production attempts to create.
Bottom line? Because the "haunting" in Haunting Julia is more emotional than metaphysical, LTN's marketing of this show as a ghostly thriller perhaps raises different expectations than the script supplies. While the performance the Theater Babe saw missed the mark, it appears that these actors are capable of generating the suspense and passion required to create a truly successful production.
Performances run thru November 18th, Friday – Saturday at 8 p.m.
and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
at The David L. Burton Playhouse,
the Little Theatre of Norfolk
Tickets are $17 with discounts for full-time students, seniors and military.
There is an additional $2 fee per ticket order – purchased online or in person
Reservations can be obtained by calling the box office at (757) 627-8551 or
ordering online at ltnonline.org.
© 2012 Hampton Roads Theater Babe. All Rights Reserved.