Acacia Presents a Story of Deceit with ‘Gaslight’

Acacia Theatre closes their season with a Victorian thriller full of half-truths and tension taut as a wire.

by

Theater

There’s no doubt that the term “gaslight” has risen in popularity over the last few years, weaseling its way into conversations and accusations and even taking on a “boy who cried wolf” quality due to its overuse. The play which gave the word its double meaning, however, dates back to 1938: Angel Street (Gaslight) by Patrick Hamilton. Acacia Theatre closes their season with Angel Street, a Victorian thriller full of half-truths and tension taut as a wire.

Director Josh Scheibe has done an excellent job with the pacing in this show; moments of pause meant to increase our (and the characters’) fearful anticipation go on just long enough to make their point. Similarly, when things seemed to be happening all at once, the actors’ rhythm in their movements and dialogue kept the scenes moving like a freshly wound clock. During the post-show talkback, Lily Lourigan—who plays Bella Manningham—said of one such scene, “I’m not even sure how many times I say ‘Go,’ ‘Go now,’ or ‘You must go.’”

The repetition of dialogue was common in this play, but for good reason: the characters almost never get what they want! The hunt for the truth is a winding one with multiple stops and restarts and reverses. Each time a character deviated from the path that seemed perfectly laid out for them (which was often), I felt that urge so familiar to horror fans to shout at them: ‘”on’t do that!”

Driven Mad

Lourigan’s performance in particular drew out that feeling. She played Bella with a clear surety of her own unsurety. A woman being driven mad by her husband can only take back the reins of her life so quickly, and Lourigan kept that reality in check, even when given her lighthouse in the fog in the form of Inspector Rough. Joe Dolan’s gentle but urgent demeanor as Inspector Rough complemented both Manninghams well—Lourigan and Jason Will could play off each other to heighten scenes to their breaking points. Will was quietly frightening as Jack Manningham, turning the room sour with a single line and creating that sense of danger one wishes to claw their way out of. Dolan’s entrances came therefore as fresh breaths into an otherwise stale air. One could not be so trustworthy if the other was not so dubious.

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Within a story as convoluted (by the characters’ own making) as Angel Street’s, the weight (physical or emotional) of a single prop could not be taken for granted. The entire ensemble clearly endowed all the materials with meaning; they rifled through each leaf of paper in search of the correct document and filled or emptied every cup in anticipation of another character’s entrance. The study felt lived in, however fraught that life may be, and we in the audience could be aware of where each important item lay on or off stage at all times. We could also be aware of where some characters were … for the gaslights themselves play an integral role in this play.

Despite the heaviness of the play’s subject matter, each member of the cast found plenty of room for lightness and humor. The jokes broke up the tension at just the right moments, reinvigorating the room for the next bout of watching with clenched teeth. The actors also kept the story thrilling and did not dip so deep into the themes of abuse but instead into those of retribution.

Acacia Theatre’s Angel Street is a gripping watch, and its story of deceit and the search for answers is one that just might strike a chord with today’s audiences. 

Angel Street runs through June 28 at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church 7845 N. River Road. Purchase tickets online at acaciatheatre.com or phone the box office at 414-744-5995.