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Ghost Watch
Written & Directed by Richard Engling
Produced by Polarity Ensemble Theatre
At the Irish American Heritage Center
4626 N. Knox
Chicago, IL
Call 773-282-7035, tickets $20 -$15 seniors and students
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
Running time is 1 hour, 4o minutes with intermission
Through November 25, 2007
Supernatural thriller delivers several scary moments
Richard Engling has resurrected his 1987 thriller, Ghost Watch, for his Polarity Ensemble Theatre. The result is a nicely produced non-Equity supernatural thriller that has moments of scary fun. The technical production details were excellent with slamming doors, quick blackouts, smashing windows and blinding lighting all adding to the real-time suspense. Engling uses a love relationship triangle involving a near bankrupt video film maker. Adam (Frank Sawa) is a character based on the playwright’s own experience seeing an apparition in a tiny efficiency. Engling’s haunted apartment becomes the model for his tale.
Adam and his video business partner and ex-lover Alana (Colleen Moore) set up their cameras in their friend Margaret’s (Kathryn Daniels) apartment where a man murdered his wife then killed himself years earlier. Margaret has seen apparitions in the dingy flat (set design by Charles C. Palia, Jr.) Adam needs to capture the ghost on video tape to save his business. When his old friend Kendall (Keith Neagle) arrives back from NYC, Kendall finds his ex-lover Jessie (Sarah Pitard) living with Adam. Alana and Kendall make a mutual pact to help each other gain back their lovers. Alana wants Adam and Kendall wants Jessie back.
When Mrs. Nilssen (Mary Ross in a riveting performance) runs a séance to call up the evil spirits in the apartment, the scary scenes follow. The action is furious and compelling. I can’t reveal much more with spoiling the show but, trust me, this is a cleverly staged and scary thriller. The action is authentic and well presented. The plot twists work nicely as evil dominates the relationships. This show delivers exactly what a ghost story should: it scare us and it keeps us on the edge of out seats. We see sexual perversion, superstition and animal-like sensuality weaved into a thrilling show. I like this show and so will you.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: November 4, 2007
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