Dark of the Moon Play Academy for the Performing Arts
A multi-level set of wooden platforms and beams, crates and barrels, chopped birch logs and an axe, a butter churn, milk can, and a jug of corn whisky thrust you into the rustic earth of Appalachia. Merely there is more than going on here than only the old-fashioned natural life in the mountains. Glowing bottles of many colors, a conjuring stick, patches of fog, flashes of lightning, and the hair-raising sounds of screeching birds and thunder evoke the eerie realm of hoodoo in The Ritz Theatre Visitor 's haunting production of Dark of the Moon , masterfully directed and designed by Bruce A. Curless, with expressive lighting by Jen Donsky and sound past Matthew Gallagher and Pat DeFusco.
The popular 17th-century Scottish "Ballad of Barbara Allen" provided the inspiration for Howard Richardson and William Berney'due south 1942 play, which retells the tragic story of dearest, betrayal, and death within the context of American witch-lore, brought to the region by its early on Scotch-Irish gaelic and African-American settlers. Presented every bit a supernatural "legend with songs" (as information technology was advertised for its original Broadway run in 1945), the evidence is punctuated with downhome Smokey Mount folk music (including "John Henry," "Down in the Valley," and "On Top of Old Smokey,") and fervent Southern Gospel church music ("Old-Time Organized religion," "Lonesome Valley," and "No, Never Lonely"), sung by the holy-roller mountaineers and played by them with gusto on banjo, dabble, and guitar, tambourine and piano.
Sarah Spangenberg and Connor McElwee lead a terrific 23-member bandage as the moon-crossed lovers Barbara Allen and John–a witch-boy who yearns to become human so that he tin ally the mortal woman he adores and live happily ever after. He appeals to the Conjure Human being, who refers him to the Conjure Adult female (the splendid Timothy Jackson and Susan Dewey); she agrees to grant his wish, under the status that the brawny Barbara (prone to "pleasurin' herself" with men) must remain true-blue to John for one full year or he will revert back to his true identity.
Though Barbara and John are happy, their relationship is thwarted on her side by the meddling of the superstitious townsfolk (with an especially funny portrayal of the dentally-challenged Uncle Smelicue by Alan Krier), her concerned parents (well-acted by J.J. Van Name and Glen Funkhouser), and the hypocritical Preacher Haggler (played with passion past DeFusco), who quotes Scripture to justify his drinking ("If Jesus turned h2o into wine, why shouldn't we do the same with our corn?") and leads an increasingly zealous revival meeting to a shockingly sinful conclusion.
John'due south occult circle also schemes to put an terminate to both his marriage and his life equally a homo, every bit the jealous Night and Fair Witches (Aneesa Neibauer and Hannah Hammel), lurk, jeer, and try to lure him back, with echoing voices and wildly provocative crawling, crouching, and enticing movements. Their scene-stealing appearances think the 'weird sisters' of Macbeth, as they lead the forces of evil against the God-fearing 'good' people of the town and the church, but wreak no more havoc than they do.
The script is written in an Appalachian dialect and the unabridged ensemble consistently affects the distinctive spoken communication pattern with precision. Costumes by Luis Cruz define the characters and plant the setting, with plaid shirts, blue jeans, overalls, and suspenders for the men; worn-out black boots and calico dresses for the women; ragged robes for the conjurers; and darkly seductive attire for the scantily clad witches.
Everything almost the Ritz'southward Dark of the Moon–from the direction to the blueprint to the music and the interim–is thoroughly spell-binding!
Running Time: Two hours, including a 15-minute intermission.
Dark of the Moon plays through Sunday, March 20, 2016, at The Ritz Theatre Company – 915 White Horse Pike, in Haddon Township, NJ. For tickets, call the box function at (856) 858-5230 or buy them online .
Source: https://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2016/03/13/review-dark-moon-ritz-theatre-company-haddon-township-nj/
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