DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE Plays Town Hall Theater, Now thru 10/31

Robert Louis Stevenson's classic allegorical work, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, was an instant success in 1885. In a new stage adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher, with an original electronic score by Middlebury College Professor Peter Hamlin, Middlebury Actors Workshop presents a smart, suspenseful psychological thriller that makes the familiar horror story scary again.

On the fog-bound streets of Victorian-era London, Henry Jekyll's experiments with exotic "powders and tinctures" have brought forth his other self-Edward Hyde, a sensualist and villain free to commit the sins Jekyll is too civilized to comprehend. When Hyde meets a woman who stirs his interest, Jekyll fears for her life and decides to end his experiments. But Hyde has other ideas, and so the two sides battle each other in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse to determine who shall be the master and who his slave.

"Jekyll and Hyde has become a catch phrase in the English language because it refers to something so true," says MAW Artistic Director Melissa Lourie. "In this adaptation, Jeffrey Hatcher throws away corny images of man morphing into monster, and instead explores the issue of good and evil in an original and exciting way. Also, he writes a darn good suspense story!

Director Lourie leads a cast of some of Burlington's finest actors, including Paul Ugalde, Jordan Gullikson, Chris Caswell, Patrick Clow, J. Louis Reid, & Marianne DiMascio. Middlebury actors Cody McGlashan and Kate Tilton round out the ensemble. The design team includes costume designer MaryKay Dempewolff, set designer Ellie Friml and lighting designer Christopher Belanger. The original musical score composed by Peter Hamlin was supported by a grant from the Vermont Community Foundation.

DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE will be performed at Middlebury's Town Hall Theater today, October 23 - 31. Shows are Thursday - Saturday at 7:30 pm, Saturday matinee at 2:00 pm, and Sunday at 7:00 pm. For tickets and information contact the THT Box Office: 802-382-9222; townhalltheater.org. Low cost student rush tickets at the door if available. The show plays at The Paramount Theatre in Rutland on November 6, 8:00 pm. For tickets and information call: 802-775-0903

In photo: Jordan Gullikson, Chris Caswell, Paul Ugalde

Photo credit: Peter Lourie

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