ArtsBeatLA

Gaslight

Patrick Hamilton’s 1938 play, Gaslight, is the only theatrical title I can think of that later became a verb, and moreover one that’s still in use today. The show was a success, running as Angel Street on Broadway for almost 1,300 performances and is better known now for its 1944 film incarnation with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. The practice of gaslighting – manipulating someone into questioning their perception of reality – is sadly very much still with us, with world leaders and television networks working with demonic fervor to convince us that “two plus two equals five” and always has. Unfortunately, the new revival of Gaslight at Pacific Resident Theatre is not as successful as the famed productions or films of yore – it feels expository and dated, with the cast largely unable to bring it to life.

Above photo credit – James Morris.

In 1880 London, Bella (Tania Getty) lives with her husband, Jack (Jaxon Duff Gwillim). She’s worried that she might be going mad, like her late mother. One of the maids, Nancy (Miranda Wynne), is rude to her and flirts with Jack. Worse than that, Bella keeps losing things (a brooch, a bill, a painting on the wall) and Jack is accusing her of hiding them deliberately. At night, she hears footsteps in the supposedly empty level above her as the gaslight lamps get darker. Jack is threatening to have her committed to an asylum, and things seem irretrievably bleak. However, her other maid, Elizabeth (Rita Obermeyer), introduces her to Rough (Stuart W. Howard) one evening, a stranger who needs her help and who may be able to help her.

Getty delivers a somewhat bland performance as a Bella who seems defeated from the start of the play. This may be part of the situation for the character, but the audience needs someone to root for, and this interpretation of Bella feels more like a bystander than a protagonist. Gwillim, conversely, is over the top with his arch and mannered portrayal of Jack; his villainy never in question. Howard brings a welcome energy and humor to the play as Rough but is stuck with delivering so much exposition that it makes his job more difficult. Obermeyer is good as the well-meaning Elizabeth, and Wynne has fun as the naughty Nancy, especially when she finally gets to cut loose.

Photo credit Phil Cass.

Director Michael Rothhaar seemingly has some difficulty with modulating the performances of his cast, and the pacing drags. This latter problem may derive from the play itself, but the 2.5 hour performance I saw (including the intermission) felt long. Hamilton’s play may have been genuinely suspenseful and original back in 1938, but the following eighty-seven years (and the many films and stories taking inspiration from it) have seriously dulled its edge. One can conceive of a production of this material that still works, but sadly this isn’t it.

Pacific Resident Theatre is famous for mounting classic plays and doing amazing, award-winning work with them. They’re one of the best, most respected theatre companies in town, and have been for forty years. Gaslight is a misfire, but I’m sure PRT will be impressing us again in the future.

Gaslight is presented by and at Pacific Resident Theatre and plays through August 10. Tickets are available here.

Photo credit Phil Cass.

Terry Morgan

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