Review: “War of the Worlds” is Entertaining, Historic and Closes Nov. 6

Today, at Shakespeare & Company, a spooky War of the Worlds continues to entertain, frighten and delight lovers of science fiction, old time radio and great story-telling. Best of all, in this gleaming new production based on the famous Orson Welles broadcast there are new twists. To the classic story director Tony Simotes and his large cast have added some clever and original local color to set up the broadcast. These snippets of local commercials, and 30′s music serve to lull the audience into a relaxed mood prior to the first news bulletin. We get to hear a live jug band, see Elizabeth Aspenlieder, David James and Dana Harrison sing and do a tap dance, and even enjoy a hilarious bit of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

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The cast while limited to 20 hours of rehearsal a week due to other duties mastered the complex tale with the dexterity we have come to expect from the actors at Shakespeare & Company. They contributed to the development of the basic material, and this team approach shows up repeatedly in the nonstop flow of original entertainment, jokes and local tie-ins. Special credit goes to Darrell Pucciarello of Studio One and Ballets Metropolis for his contributions to the tap dancing trio, perhaps the most fun of the evening.

With a radio sound effects guy (Michael Pfeiffer as Max Michaels) working upstage left, we were reminded just how much old time radio expected the audience’s imagination to fill in the images. Indeed, in the 1930′s radio was still the new medium, somewhat untrusted, and the newspapers of the day exploited the public confusion caused by this program to be one of the dangers of an uncontrolled new medium. We hear the press make the same arguments about the internet today.

Scott Renzoni played emcee Bobby Romiro during the first part, and then as the story progressed, he also played the Policeman, Officer and Stranger. His voice changed from host to that of a credible announcer as the news bulletins began to interrupt the program with increasing frequency. His changes of characterization were amazing.

David Joseph once again excelled in his role as the smooth Jack Holloway and later the Observer. The eternally perky and lively Elizabeth Aspenlieder charmed and delighted as Darla Ford, Carla Philips, Judy McMurphy and the Telephone Operator. With a stunning range of abilities, Dana Harrison showed great range in her portrayals of Melinda Maguire, Margaret Atwater, Operator and Stranger.

If we have become a bit too used to seeing Josh Aaron McCabe and Jonathan Croy as masters of the comedic, farcical and satirical, it was a delight to see them nail down more serious roles. Croy as the great actor Lionel Harrison,, and then Mr.Wilmuth, Captain Lansing and Lt.Vogt. McCabe impressed as Clark Alden, and the astronomer Professor Pierson.

The action on stage was typical Simotes with people constantly on the move, the action almost never stopping. Even at the opening, where the audience was brought into the action on stage by a typical studio warmup, the action of this drama was nonstop, speeding up as it rushed headlong into its key scenes in Grovers Mill, New Jersey, and then slowing down for a philosophical look back at the very end.

The set was glossy with wonderful art deco touches from the era, including flashing “Applause”, and “On Air” signs. And while the lettering for the Columbia Broadcasting System was perfect for the time, the local call letters were missing. And having been a broadcaster half a decade ago, the walls of a studio stage would not have been hard and glossy, but acoustically soft, to deaden any echoes. Still I have to allow for the fact that the studio audience worked as the sound buffering medium. In a large concert hall the audience and seat cushions in fact fill that function.

Patrick Brennan did a great job on the sets, as did Kara D. Midlam on the costumes. I did find fault with the lighting in that some of the scenes away from the studio should have been rendered with the back wall in total darkness to obscure the signage and location. This was easier to do with the special scenes on raised platforms on the sides than when the action was played downstage, but while dimmed somewhat, they still intruded. Should the CBS back wall disappear completely? Or is being reminded of the studio setting essential to reminding the audience that this whole story is an illusion. I wonder what others would say.

Since War of the Worlds is going to play for almost two months, there will be plenty of opinions to choose from. There is no question that as Halloween approaches, many in the Berkshires will add it to their plans for that festive Fall tradition. With pumpkins and goblins already in place in most retail settings, this show is perfectly timed. In fact there is an added bonus in the fantastical costumes that Govane Lohbauer has assembled in the lobby of the Bernstein theatre.

This is a family safe story, and like reading the children a good book, encourages them to use their “mind’s eye” to complete the picture of what they see on stage. War of the Worlds is a clever production that exercises the imagination and allows each member of the audience to fill in the blanks, just as in the old radio days. While perhaps a bit too scary at times for the very young, or wiggly, it is a great show for older children who will be fascinated at a look back in time when there were no pictures over the air, no boob tube, just voices in the ether that arrived in the home via the radio.

And what voices they are. Thanks to Shakespeaere & Company you can revisit their intimate charm, and their enormous power.