University Theatre’s production of An Inspector Calls, by J.B. Priestley, seized the mood of the mystery thriller and articulated it perfectly.
The lace tablecloth, the yellowing globe and the high-backed chairs around the table all added to the haunting, musky atmosphere of the rich dining room set. Behind the window lightning flashed, thunder crashed and rain could be heard beating against the roof. I felt like I had accidentally walked into an Agatha Christie mystery novel or at least a well-played game of Clue.
An Inspector Calls is set in Britain in 1912 and chronicles the secrets of the members of the well-off Birling family who, each in their own way, is somehow connected to the suicide of a young girl. Two years ago, the girl had worked for the Birling family, and Inspector Goole isn’t convinced that their relationship ended when her employment did.
When the Inspector arrives unexpectedly at Sheila Birling’s engagement party and begins asking uncomfortable questions, he starts to uncover the layers of deception and misdeeds.
University Theatre’s production shone when it came to the details. The set, lighting and costumes were all stunning and fit with the sophisticated detective theme wonderfully. The light of the room seems to come from old-fashion paraffin lamps and a flickering fireplace — the stage was kept dim enough to be sinister, but bright enough that you could follow the action onstage.
The male performers sipped their port wine in elegant coats complete with tails, while the female cast members wore refined laced and sequined dresses.
Even though I was initially star-struck by the beautiful set-up, the gentleman sitting next to me called its value into question when he started a conversation during intermission. He had been going to detective theatre for years and loved the mystery, he said, but found that most stories focused on a small cast of rich, dastardly, aloof and unrelatable folk.
At the beginning of the play I had to agree. Meandering around the stage in their British accents and shiny dresses, the plot seemed to have plenty to offer, but I doubted that the characters did. However, the actors quickly changed my mind.
In the first of the three acts, the action seemed a bit clunky at times. Even though the dialogue was clever, there seemed to be actions implied by the script that never happened, as if the cast hadn’t played the script quite to its full potential. Moreover, many of the actors spoke in haste, and while this was probably required by the length of the play, it was a bit intimidating.
As they warmed up, though, all of the actors became more into their characters. Their personalities filled up the whole stage, even during moments when there was relatively little action. The relationship between Sheila Birling, played by Rhonda Lemon, a senior in mechanical engineering, and her fiancé Gerald Croft, played by Ryan Fleming, a junior in environmental sciences, was especially compelling.
Even though each of the characters had done something clearly immoral, the actors playing them made their reasoning completely understandable. I could picture myself in their situations and see how my own willpower would fail as well.
Moreover, their guilt regarding their actions and sympathetic quirks were portrayed as powerfully as their faults. Each character received the opportunity to tell his or her side of the story, and each one told it powerfully.
For instance, the secrets of Eric Birling, played by Philipp Lindemann, a sophomore in political science, do not come out until near the end of the play, but when he broke down and confessed, he confessed wholeheartedly. He tossed back drinks, and his mannerism switched between fury toward his accusers and dejected despair at his deeds.
An Inspector Calls was engaging and energetic, and none of the characters fell flat. While it may start out slow, I think it was mainly because of the script’s effort to set the stage down to the exact year and the political climate. The direction was well-done, the action filled up the whole stage. The production crew outdid themselves.
All that, and a twist ending, make for a stand-out performance from University Theatre.
