Review: THE MOORS at Renaissance Theatreworks

One sign of a remarkable theater experience is that it keeps you thinking on your way out. As I was leaving "The Moors" at Renaissance Theatreworks, I was thinking  "I must see this again."

This gothic comedy, from playwright Jen Silverman, tells the twisted tale of a young governess, Emilie, who travels to a remote manor after being hired/wooed by a mysterious Mr. Branwell. What she eventually finds are Branwell's two sisters, Agatha and Huldey. There are also one (or two) maid and a large, lonely mastiff.

To describe more plot points would do the play and those who will experience it, a great disservice as watching the story twist and unfold is one of the joys of "The Moors."

The human inhabitants of the moors, each played in a different shade of brilliant, misty gray by Sarah Sokolovic (Agatha), Allie Babich (Huldey), Kaylene Howard (Emilie) and Emily Vitrano (Marjory the maid), are engaged in dance of need and manipulation where the partners are contantly changing.

All these human machinations are put on paws when Reese Madigan's woeful mastiff tries to find love — or at least a bit of company — with a restless moor played nimbly by Marti Gobel

Through it all, director Suzan Fete deftly balances the humor and gothic pathos by keeping the audience delightfully OFF balance and contantly surprised.

 

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