BWW Previews: BELLA brings terror and gore to the SoMo Playhouse

"If you sit in the front row, you may get bloody."

These were my instructions when I arrived at SoMo Playhouse for a preview of their horror play, Bella.

Written and directed by Evangeline Ciupek, the play portrays the story of a kidnapped family imprisoned in a basement. The family members have to escape before their tormentor, Michael, feeds them to his man-eating dog, Bella. As time goes by, the family members wonder if it's Bella they really need to worry about.

Influences on the show included the Fore Tribe of New Guinea, known for the neurological disorder Kuru, which is caused by their cannibalism. There is also a tie-in with deep psychological disturbance as Michael's difficult childhood manifests itself in gory and cruel ways.

This production makes maximum use out of SoMo's black box theatre, transforming it into a restaurant, a basement and a living room. The entire theatre is used at one point or another for an element of the show.

The play's creators intentionally integrate elements of naturalistic horror in the tradition of the Grand Guignol theater of the late 19th century. (Therefore, the warning for front row attendees is well-warranted.)

Michael (Greg Rabidoux) is a character we meet as a waiter (but come to learn he has a different agenda). Rabidoux plays Michael with a convincing physical presence that keeps the entire audience on edge; there are points in the show when he manages to be hilariously cruel - a combination of emotions that would be difficult to achieve in a less skilled actor.

Pete (Charles Poole), Sarah (Nydira Adams), Timothy (Valentin Lencina), and Nikola (Ta'Sina Copeland) are a family that probably wishes they had taken a different route. Although this show had different storylines it chose to pursue deeply, this family's chemistry deserved a play of its own. Coping with a chronic illness (Nikola's) influences the intensity of Sarah's nurturing overtures. Adams as Sarah displayed a spectrum from tender to tough that was exceptionally convincing. When Poole as Pete convinced the family to trust Michael's invitation to his home as a bad storm approached, something about his gullibility (guised as wanting to protect his family) led me as an audience member to want to jump out of my seat and warn him of the danger I sensed lay ahead.

The trio of Bambi (Erin Lustria), Raymond (Rob Kimbrough) and Orin (Lucas Dykes) ends up waylaid on their way to Florida, trapped in Michael's lair along with Pete's family. Each member of the trio takes prominence at a different time throughout the show. Kimbrough as Raymond reminds us of every know-it-all we've ever known, but somewhere underneath the bravado you get the sense that he really does have everyone's best interests at heart; it's just difficult to sort all that out while squashed together in a basement prison.

Who will survive Michael's descent into madness?

Will the insatiable appetite of "Bella" be sated?

Will you ever be able to listen to Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" again without thinking of Michael?

You'll have to go to the show to find out.

NOTE: The inclusion of horror puppetry in the show is a fascinating element, executed well in this case.

The show runs November 3, 4, 10, & 11 at 8PM, and Sundays, November 5 & 12, at 2PM. Tickets are $15 general admission; $12 students and seniors. Be aware the show involves gore, adult language, lighting effects, water-based fog and gunshot sounds.

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