It's kind of difficult to believe that it's been as many years as it has. There have been many, many October horror shows at the Alchemist Theatre over the years. This one . . . The Alchemist Eye is not based specifically on any pre-existing work or history, so it's kind of fresh and kind of new . . . and like any old ghost story, it borrows a lot from a lot of other ghost stories that have come before it.
There's a long tradition in people getting scared in October and it's nice that Alchemist Theatre continues its tradition of delving in the somewhat deliciously creepy for an evening. The Alchemist Eye attempts a balance between horror and humor that's fun to watch, but I found that observing that balance ended up taking me too far out of the production. That's kind of the trick of horror is that . . . on some level you have to let go and let the story be real even though you know it isn't. You know you're perfectly safe, but you have to let the creepiness fill your heart and give in to it. Sometimes this is easier than others . . . and The Alchemist Eye manages to reach out into the hearts of the audience on more than one occasion.
It's the story of a man who poses as an electrician in a creepy, old secluded mansion in order to find an artifact that he knows is in there somewhere. Don't expect a haunted house feeling, though . . . and if you really want to let the horror in on this one, don't fight a desire to like the characters . . . all of them. There isn't a single person here who isn't a bit reprehensible on some level, which doesn't sound like much of a sales pitch until you realize that the actors here have been some of the most consistently good in Milwaukee studio theatre stages over the course of the past several years.
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The relationships between the characters feel very fleshed-out . . . Amber Smith and Jordan Gwiazdowski have one of the most authentic romantic stage chemistries I ever recall seeing before. The two of them look very, very natural up there, but the most interesting connection here happens between Gwiazdowski's electrician treasure hunter and the building's caretaker played by Robby McGhee. McGhee could've really overplayed the old and tired bit as a tired old man, but the exhaustion we see plays out pretty subtly. It must take a tremendous effort to psych oneself up to get onstage and be breathtakingly . . . tired. But McGhee does a good job of it and it plays well against the glibness of Gwiazdowski's character. There is deep respect between the two characters that has a real subtle intricacy about it. I liked the show, but I loved the scenes between Gwiazdowski and McGhee.
The Alchemist Eye runs through November 3rd at the Alchemist Theatre on 2569 South Kinnickinnic Avenue. For ticket reservations, visit www.alchemisttheatre.com. A full review runs in the next issue of the Shepherd-Express.
Also . . . the set has a lot of depth to it that simply is NOT visible while seeing the show. The old lady has collected a lot of old trinkets . . . many of which are kind of familiar if you know what you're looking at. Opening night a lot of people recognized the idol from Radiers of the Lost Ark, but did you know if you look close enough, you can also see the Maltese Falcon? (If I'm not mistaken, it's hanging out next to the Necronomicn . . . Take a closer look at the set pic here. It's kind of cool . . . just don't go looking for Waldo here . . . you might not like what you see when you find him . . . )
