Builders Association's STRANGE WINDOW: THE TURN OF THE SCREW Revisits Henry James Novella

A new interpretation of Henry James' 1898 novella, Strange Window: The Turn of the Screw creates a theatrical experience that mirrors the seductive ambiguity of the original chilling tale. On stage, a governess tells her story, deploying the actors and media wizardry of The Builders Association to create the world of her memory while holding the audience in her spell. Turn of the Screw's perplexing questions about the sanity of the governess and the existence of ghosts persist. The fabric of reality is contested and "truth" becomes one option among many in this unsettling story.

With a singular focus on storytelling and stagecraft, Weems and her company give this Gothic ghost story a contemporary edge. Multiple on-stage cameras and projectors reveal the cast members' micro-expressions and emotional states throughout the twisting, psychological proceedings. The production honors the 19th-century tale and includes much of James' text, while also underscoring the very contemporary subjects of truth, class, and sexuality.

The cast features Lucia Roderique (the governess/nanny), Mo Angelos (Mrs. Grose), Sean Donovan (Quint, Uncle, Lecturer, voice of Miles), Hannah Heller (Miss Jessel, Aunt, Lecturer, voice of Flora), Joe Solava (child Miles), and Finley Tarr (child Flora). Strange Window: The Turn of the Screw premiered at The Krannert Center in Urbana, IL in September, 2018 and made its West Coast premiere at University of California, Santa Cruz in October, 2018.

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