Review: THE TURN OF THE SCREW at Chalk Circle Collective

Chalk Circle Collective brings the classic gothic horror story TURN OF THE SCREW to life through October 29th at the black box theatre at Diversionary Theatre. This atmospheric two-person production provides excellent performances, along with some inventive choices to a show that is perfectly suited for the late October weeks before Halloween.  

A young and naive governess (Megan Carmitchel) finds herself at a job interview with a rich, mysterious man (Michael Cusimano) who is the uncle and guardian of his orphaned niece Flora and nephew Miles.  They live in a house on a faraway estate and find themselves in need of a new governess. Their late governess is enigmatically mentioned as having “gone away”, and if our young heroine is to take this job he makes it clear that she is in charge and on her own, he is not to be contacted or bothered for any reason. 

A rich man asks, with no small amount of ambiguity on details, to watch two innocent and orphaned children in an old and remote estate, with no support or communication from him ever.  Who wouldn’t say yes to that? Let the spookiness begin.

When Carmitchel’s Governess arrives at the property, she is greeted by the kindly housekeeper Mrs. Grose who welcomes and warns in the same breath, “Welcome to Bly, lock the doors.”

Soon she meets the beautiful but totally silent Flora, with whom the Governess chatters about the beauty of the house, the lake, and the distant tower.  Soon Miles, Flora’s  older brother, has been returned to Bly having been kicked out of school for the unspecified ominous reason of “corruption.”

From there the mystery deepens, what exactly is going on at this estate?  Are they being haunted by eerie apparitions?  If so, why can only the Governess and the children see them? These ghosts are not the friendly Casper variety, but ominous and potentially a manifestation of evil focused on the children. 

The Governess has wholeheartedly thrown herself into the role of their protector from perceived evils.  She finds the more she struggles to control and comprehend what is going on, and cling to what she knows to be true, the more her grasp of reality and imagination seems to blend.

Carmitchel as the Governess is sweet, sunny, and optimistic with flashes of fiery stubbornness.   Her Governess is expressive and sympathetic,  but as her temper and reality begin to fray, she believes she has things more in hand than she ever truly does. Carmitchel walks the fine line of committed crusader against evil or madwoman with just enough balance to keep the audience guessing which may be the truth.

Cusimano plays the other characters in the play; including the elderly housekeeper, a mysterious uncle, and a 10-year-old boy.  The fluidity of character changes is impressive as he slips characters on and off with clarity and ease.  In particular, his Miles is smart with a wicked sharpness, blending mischievousness with quicksilver flashes of maliciousness that continue to build as the story progresses.

Based on the story by Henry James and adapted into a play by Jeffrey Hatcher, Frankie Errington's direction keeps the show and the characters moving and clear, building plot and tension hand in hand.  Their choice of not having Cusimano portray the mute Flora is a neat trick, three characters in a scene but only two actors, with the bonus of tricking the audiences into imagining things that are not there. 

Another smart directorial choice is to allow the background sounds to be created in real-time during the show by Carmitchel and Cusimano who are also both talented musical performers. They use music and sound to enhance the story and set the mood by mixing and layering sounds, beats, and rhythms while acting.  Cusimano uses an electric guitar on its side more like a lap steel guitar, and Carmitchel plays the violin and provides haunting vocal melodies. 

Lighting by Josh Olmstead adds to the eerie and atmospheric feeling, underscoring the story with shadows and flashes of light.

Previous knowledge of the novella is unnecessary, though if you are you will see that this show takes its lead from the book in never actually presenting the ghosts. Instead, it is left to the audience to conclude what is real and what is imagined.

How To Get Tickets

THE TURN OF THE SCREW by Chalk Circle Collective is playing through October 29th.  For ticket and show time information go to www.chalkcirclecollective.com
 

Photo Credit: Kay Marian McNellen

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