Photo by Cate Ferrer
Opal, the new production by the Acacia Theatre Company, tells a supposedly true story taken from the diary of an orphaned aristocratic French girl who winds up in an Oregon lumber town. The diary’s truth is disputed, but the Acacia Theatre Company has made a valiant effort bringing this musical to the stage.
Written by Robert Lindsey-Nassif and directed by Elaine Rewolinski, the play was chosen in part because it tells the story of a girl trying to find her place among strangers and create friendships in a hostile environment. The story adheres to the Christian values that lie at the heart of Acacia’s mission.
Ella Rose Kleefisch, who plays the title character, is an experienced young actress and she holds her own against her adult co-stars. She was quite charming, especially when talking about her invisible pet pig, Peter Paul Reubens. The production’s brightest spot was the character called “Girl That Has No Seeing,” played by Magdelyn Monahan. This character faced a decent amount of adversity and Monahan had people rooting for her, which made the character’s demise a disappointment. The insertion of a love triangle involving Monahan’s character and “Man That Wears Gray Neckties” and “The Thought Girl” seemed a distraction. It cheapened the show. Monahan’s character was the most interesting role and it would have been nice if the script had featured her more.
At just under two hours, the musical felt long. There were some catchy songs, such as “Sears & Roebuck Wedding Band” and “Ev’rybody’s Looking for Love.” The set was sparse but the actors did a good job conveying what the set could not. On opening night, there were some issues with the sound and lighting. At times the stage was extremely bright or extremely dark, but those issues can be remedied. The production has kinks that need to be worked out, but with bright stars like Kleefisch and Monahan, there are reasons to hope these problems will be resolved.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Through July 19 at Concordia University’s Todd Wehr Auditorium, 12800 N. Lake Shore Drive, Mequon. Call 414-744-5995 or visit acaciatheatre.com.
