Review: Epic Theatre's Perfectly Twisted TOTAL STRANGERS

Based on the classic novel Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith, Epic Theatre's page to stage season re-write imagines a deftly wrought twist both in the gender of the protagonist and antagonist as well as almost everything else that happens. Two women meet on a train, that much is familiar, but the rest of the story is one unexpected twist after another that leaves the audience almost exhausted at the end, but still completely satisfied. Anyone who has seen a show at Epic knows that sets are minimal and dialogue and performance rule. This works incredibly well thanks to the talents of Hannah Lum as Georgia and Kelly McCabe as Beth. What is essentially two women having a conversation becomes a fascinating back and forth that ratchets up the tension with every word. Epic always proves that you don't need elaborate sets to tell a compelling story, and this show is a fantastic example of the power perfectly chosen words delivered by skilled actors.

The play begins with Georgia sitting on a train reading Origin of the Species. She's approached by Beth, who strikes up a conversation, and eventually offers her a sip out of her flask. Georgia is a bit stressed out. She's a professor at Columbia who has been having an affair with a student and has to go before a review board to plead for her job. In addition to that, her marriage is falling apart and she's pregnant. Beth offers the perfect solution to that set of problems--she can kill Georgia's husband and young lover "a two-for-one!" and then Georgia can kill Beth's brother who is keeping her from her rightful inheritance. Everyone wins!

For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I'll just say that not everyone wins, but the route to get to that ending is so pitted with misdirection, lies and intrigue that it's just delicious to experience. Hannah Lum is fantastic as the seemingly innocent Georgia. Initially clad in shades of green and blue, she comes across as canny, but not calculating, and within minutes of meeting her the first impulse is to save her from her unfortunate circumstances. In contrast to her is Beth in red and black with a shock of red lipstick and a slightly jokerish smile. Beth oozes mistrust and danger and Kelly McCabe captures this perfectly. One can absolutely picture her as the spoiled rich kid in high school who would hide under the bleachers smoking cigarettes. The contrast in demeanor between the two women is so perfect, and really drives home why changing these roles from men to women opens up a whole new dynamic. If women are constantly going to be considered subversive and sneaky--let's embrace it!

Despite minimal sets in a black box theatre, this production manages to create atmosphere and ambiance through the lighting and a fantastic original music by Malyssa BellaRosa. The lighting is red, dangerous, not dissimilar to the calculating Beth's color palette, and the music is moody with a female crooner moving us from scene to scene. The music is actually so great, that it's a disappointment at times to fade it out and get back to the play, but since the play is also pretty fantastic, it's a bit of a Sophie's Choice for the audience.

The men are secondary characters in this play, but they handle it well. Justin Pimental is sweetly naive as Andy, the college student Georgia had an affair with, and Mike Petrarca plays Beth's brother Eddie with an equally guileless air. Kate Lester as Detective Barlett and Joan Battlng as Barbara round out the incredibly solid cast. It's almost a shame that there isn't more of Lester and Batting since they're both excellent, but at the end of the day, the show is completely owned by Lum and McCabe.

Perhaps because the women are so calculating, the men come off as sweet simpletons, or maybe that's actually just what they are. Since "this is a true story told by liars", it's really anyone's guess who is sincere, and trying to figure that out seems like a waste of energy. It's better to just sit back and let this rollercoaster take you through the peaks and valleys and around the dark and dangerous corners until you arrive in a place where you're totally exhausted, but thoroughly satisfied.

Total Strangers runs May 6&7 at 8pm, May 13 & 14 8pm, May 15 3pm, May 20 & 21 8pm at Artist's Exchange, 82 Rolfe Square, Cranston, RI. Tickets $15 General Admission, $12 Seniors & Students available at artists-exchange.org/events.html

Photo (from left): Hannah Lum, Kelly McCabe. Photo by David Cantelli Photography.

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