A Denver Center Theater Company presentation of a play in two acts by Phyllis Nagy, based on the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Directed by Jamie Horton.
Hester Prynne - Jacqueline Antaramian
Master Brackett - Michael Hartman
Pearl - Sara Fernandez-K
Mistress Hibbins - Suzanne Bouchard
Governor Bellingham - Michael Santo
Arthur Dimmesdale - Sean Hennigan
Roger Chillingsworth - Richard Risso
Thunderbolts, bouts of silence, lightning flashes in the sky and dim perceptions among the humans on the New England Puritan Earth mark Jamie Horton's vibrantly theatrical production of "The Scarlet Letter."
Taming Nathaniel Hawthorne's mid-19th-century rhetoric without losing the essence of its depiction of the terrible solitudes of a society in which distrust is the common denominator, playwright Phyllis Nagy comes off as a fine artist. Her dialogue shows a vivid imagining, guided by admiration for Hawthorne's characters.
The play clarifies the drama without removing its mystery, retaining much of the symbolism without overdoing it. That is essential to holding onto the novel's integrity.
The subject of the play is frailty and a reluctance to show mercy to those who transgress rigid codes. In her own solitude, Hester Prynne (Jacqueline Antaramian) is determined to bear her "A" for adultery with pride, as her means of expressing contempt for the harsh Puritan attitudes. A weak lover, a bullying husband and an overly wise young daughter thwart her efforts to recover her own dignity.
Horton makes an impressive directing debut at the Denver Center after 10 years as an actor with the company. On Andrew V. Yelusich's superb abstract set, with its multiple playing spaces, Horton moves his players with marked freedom, drawing carefully conceived perfs from a cast of exceptional ability.
Antaramian is forceful in the direct simplicity of her playing, stripping the sentiment and relying on candor and a lack of affectation.
Richard Risso is in turmoil as Chillingsworth, vengeful yet aware of his responsibilities as a doctor to those in distress. Sean Hennigan's Dimmesdale is self-condemned to misery by his guilt, a wretched servant of God working out his dismal fate.
As Pearl, child-woman and perhaps stand-in for God's wrath, Sara Fernandez-K illuminates her special corner of the plotting with considerable ability. In smaller roles, Michael Hartman, Suzanne Bouchard and Michael Santo also give strong performances.
Sets and costumes, Andrew V. Yelusich. Lighting, Don Darnutzer; music, Lee Stametz; sound, David R. White; stage manager, Paul Jefferson. Artistic director, Donovan Marley. Opened, reviewed March 21, 1994.
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Date in print: Mon., Apr. 4, 1994