Review: ‘Witch’ an unsettling story

The Collaborative Theatre Project brings a distinctive and intriguing play to the stage

By Lucie K. Scheuer for Ashland.news

Susan Aversa, artistic director of the Collaborative Theatre Project and director of their current show, “Witch,” has never been one to shy away from plays that get under our skin and maybe even make us think a little or ponder a lot. In the past couple of years, this company has presented plays that are sometimes dark, other times alluring, and always interesting, such as last year’s production of “Jekyll and Hyde.” “Witch” is no exception — in some ways, it encompasses all three descriptions.

This isn’t exactly a Halloween piece per se, but it is unsettling. And if you like stories that are distinctive, disturbing, yet thought-provoking, this might be for you.

The play was inspired by the story of Elizabeth Sawyer, who villagers falsely believed to be a witch and who was eventually executed in the small village of Edmonton, United Kingdom, in the 17 ^th century. This witch has become more the village scapegoat, as she exclaims, “I’m like a disease I seem only to have caught.” The story was eventually made into a play “The Witch of Edmonton ,” and later adapted by playwright Jen Silverman (off Broadway), who reworked the dialog into modern vernacular and soliloquies.

The title is a bit misleading, as the story also focuses on Scratch, the devil, and two “brothers” — one who has become the ward and unofficial adopted son of a wealthy, widowed landowner, Sir Arthur Banks, the other who is his biological son. Both young men’s ambitions are at cross purposes with one another. The adopted son, Frank, declares “We have to ask for more than we’re born with.”

He wants to outwit his brother and receive his adopted father’s inheritance. He is even willing to go so far as to sell his soul to the devil in order to do so. Allan P. Jones II as Frank Thorney, plays a convincing betrayer and threat to Cuddy Banks, the son played by Nick Walker. Nick Walker plays the rather meek son, who seems only to be interested in “Morris Dancing,” a form of dance from that era. Walker is nicely matched with Jones.

As is often the case in these allegories that date back to Cain and Able, these two are fated to eventually confront one another, with only one surviving. The outcome may surprise you.

Kaitie Warner plays Elizabeth, the witch, who is not wringing her hands over a kettle and spouting incantations to cast spells, but rather plays a determined, defiant woman who has rebuked the townspeople and has kept to herself. Although Elizabeth turns out to be the character with a moral compass and integrity and Warner plays her that way, she voices the dread and uneasiness we are feeling in uncertain times.

It seems as though playwright Silverman had a missed opportunity here. She could have written Elizabeth as a modern woman in charge of her own destiny and played up her strengths. She could have given Elizabeth a more proactive voice. Instead, Elizabeth is rather passive and resigned and seems more interested in the romance Scratch, the devil, might be conjuring up with her, although it was not clear as to who was trying to interest whom.

Scratch is played wryly with great charm by Adam Cuppy. As with the other characters, Scratch is not the devil we would expect him to be. Yes, he’s confident and conniving, but it seems as though he is losing interest in his job, as if souls are no longer worth capturing.

There’s some terrific repartee exchanged between Scratch and Elizabeth. They have a similar appeal to Beatrice and Benedick in “Much Ado About Nothing.” They are bewitching and amusing.

Jeff McCamish plays Sir Arthur Banks, the wise yet, compromised father, who is so focused on grieving his deceased wife, he fails to see the dire situation emerging between his sons.

Tessa Alleman plays Winnifred, the desperate wife of Frank Thorney, whose predicament furthers the tension in the story, and Frank Thorney’s desperation. Alleman brings a sense of anxious anticipation to her role, which is further complicated by Sir Arthur Bank’s expectations.

Sets that were heavy and cumbersome the last couple of years, have finally been cleared away. In their place, Krysta Bannis (Scenic Design) has moved in and designed some period scenery that work well – rooms with cozy fireplaces dissolve into libraries, estate rooms are transformed into banquet halls. The colors are rich and reflect the rust-colored fabrics and textures that would have adorned estates and castles at the time.

Aversa and assistant CJ Reid have created costumes with a look and feel of embroidered elegance and a flare for medieval times. It is evident the entire company, along with choreographers Daniel Sessions Stephens and Jeff McCamish, and Ryan Kelley, who handled sound and lighting, were in sync on this one.

This is a play where no one is as they seem. That’s what draws us in. Other reviewers seem to have found deeper meaning in Silverman’s adaptation, drawing correlations to today’s societal angst and confusion about “where do we go from here.” This reviewer sees it more as a play of opposites — where our motives and desires can give rise to good or evil, without our even being aware of it. — and where the devil isn’t even sure who he is anymore.

Ashland resident Lucie K. Scheuer is director and coordinator for two nonprofits in the Rogue Valley: Heart Rising Foundation (aiding Almeda Fire victims) and Uniting for Ukraine RV (aiding emigrating Ukrainian refugees). She is also a nonprofit development consultant, credentialed substance abuse/dual-diagnosis counselor and former copy editor and staff writer with the Los Angeles Times, where her work included features, reviews and a column on films in production. Email her at LucieScheuer19@gmail.com.

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