H. P. Lovecraft's The Festival is an experience. House lights dim, both the house and stage are bathed in black light when we hear Walter Ritter's deep voice echoing in Swedenborg Hall with, "I was far from home, and the spell of the eastern sea was upon me."
On stage the six players are in black, faces hidden, with only wisps of white allowing us to see their amorphous shapes seemingly floating about the stage. Just for the record, the actors are Rena Lyon, Harrison Myers, Justine Catlin, Tony Hamm, and Miranda Pearl under the direction of Danger Daisy. Sound and lights are by Danger Dagna and Danger Domino. This a Dangerhouse Production with music by The Worms.
Lovecraft's short story is a classic filled with eerie allusions to "narrow grass-grown streets," "bent old woman," and "monotonous walls of dripping stone blocks and crumbling mortar," just to name a few.
We watch as the hooded, draped characters convince us of the truth of his words. The whole experience becomes a mind trip. Lovecraft is a true master at bringing his readers into a world of mystery and darkness. The Dangerhouse group bring his words to an equally strange and eerie life.
As we're increasingly immersed in the emotions of the story, the characters begin to leave the stage and surround us. At one point, they float huge white gossamer cloths over our heads. Another time, in keeping with Lovecraft's mood, bats nearly graze our heads.
Dangerhouse's The Festival is interesting theater. The effect of floating images, seemingly motivated by H.P. Lovecraft's brilliant words, is extremely strange and yet quite fulfilling. It certainly is an experience you will not forget.
