Armadale

Who says there aren't any good parts for women anymore? Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher has created a brilliantly villainous femme fatale in Armadale, an elegant mystery based on a novel by Wilke Collins. The thriller had its world premiere at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

Collins' Victorian novel comes stunningly to life in this engaging play. With more twists and turns than a boa constrictor, Armadale keeps audiences guessing until the very end. Although Armadale doesn't have sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense, it does have many marvelous scenes that reveal subtle character traits. It wouldn't be surprising if the audience left the theater feeling as though they actually "knew" many of the characters.

Not that you'd want all of them at your dinner table, naturally. Most especially off the guest list would be Lydia Gwilt (Deborah Staples), the notorious vixen with revenge in her heart.

Years ago, when employed as a servant, Gwilt did her wealthy mistress a favor with the expectation of a reward in return. Instead, she was sold as a slave. Gwilt barely survived unspeakable conditions, only to vow ruin to the family that sold her into slavery.

What kind of woman is she? "I could kill a cat or torture a child," she remarks, as a way of describing her current mood.

The play's title is based on two young men with the same name, Allan Armadale. One came to the name by birth, the other through an odd adoption. Eventually, the Armadales meet, and sparks start to fly.

Armadale takes the audience through two generations of family history. The plot is far too convoluted to describe in detail. Suffice to say that there's lust, love, deception, kindness and hate. The production carries a Dickensian flavor. In particular, some characters are vividly recreated with odd quirks and mannerisms. The play also treads on familiar terrain, such as the disparity between the wealthy and the poor, and the power of greed to corrupt. Armadale also partially takes place in London – a place Dickens knew intimately.

The play's large cast is wonderfully directed by Joseph Hanreddy, the Rep's artistic director. It's clear he is dealing with actors he knows exceptionally well; likewise, the company members are also quite familiar.

Shining among a large cast is Deborah Staples as the lovely, notorious Lydia Gwilt. She convincingly demonstrates her character's power over men. As Lydia Gwilt, Staples is the mysterious element that wreaks havoc on unsuspecting Armadale clan.

The plot also hinges on the actions of the two Armdale men. Actor Michael Gotch transforms himself into a penniless young man on the brink of desperation. He is wracked by grief over his mother's death. Once again the fates of the two Armadales collide.

There's a touch of melodrama in the supporting characters played by Peter Silbert, James Pickering, Rose Pickering, Steve Pickering and Gerard Neugent. Actors sometimes change characters in full view of the audience, demonstrating the magic of theater. There's plenty of action and a few laughs to keep the audience entertained as well as engaged. In short, the Milwaukee Rep has launched a winner.