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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll
And Mr. Hyde
By Robert Louis Stevenson
Adapted by Frank Galati
Directed by Terry McCabe
At City Lit Theatre
1020 W. Bryn Mawr
Chicago, IL
Call 773-293-3682, tickets $25
Fridays & Saturdays at 8 PM
Sundays at 3 PM
Running time is 2 hours with intermission
Through November 5, 2006
True to the original, Jekyll & Hyde is a tense psychological drama
Two forces combined to produce a powerful, chilling night of theatre; an accurate adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s horror classic by Frank Galati and City Lit’s acumen in producing literary works on stage. The result is a finely crafted work rich in psychological drama that focuses on the inner conflict between good and evil. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has been adapted and deluded into many things since its first theatrical version in 1887 that we hardly remember what the original story is really about.
Frank Galati’s adaptation boosts that every word is taken from Stevenson’s original. Director Terry McCabe uses a narrator (Brian Pastor) to set up the drama that plays out intensely on City Lit’s intimate stage. We see Mr. Utterson (Will Schutz) trying to understand what has happened to his friend and law client, Henry Jekyll. The story begins with Utterson being told a strange story by Mr.Enfield (Andrew Whatley) about a strange event where a crazed man runs over a child at a street crossing.
The suspense builds nicely from there as events smoothly set up by Brian Pastor’s narrative and Will Schutz’s unnerving curiosity. As the story unfolds, we begin to realize that Dr. Jekyll is basically ‘good’ (although he has human foibles) and that Mr. Hyde is a personification of ‘evil.’ George Seegebrecht’s Jekyll and Brian Plocharczyk’s Hyde interchange smoothly and, in several cleverly crafted scenes, they replace one another effectively increasing the mystery.
Without giving away any of the plot twists, let me say that City Lit’s production is a chilling and emotionally powerful drama that delivers the authentic story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde told in the marvelous Victorian language of Stevenson’s era. Terrific performances from Schuts, Seegebrecht and Plocharczyk make this show a riveting psychological drama that carries an impact live on stage. This is worthy entertainment. City Lit again delivers.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2006
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