Review
The Turn of the Screw
Bank Street Theater
155 Bank St
November 3, 2007
VanLoan
vanloan@nyconstage.org
Henry James' classic 1898 ghost novella The Turn of the Screw has undergone numerous incarnations over the years. In addition to various movie and TV treatments, it has also been used as the basis for an opera by Benjamin Britten and a ballet by William Tuckett. It is the haunting story of a young governess who slowly discovers that the two young orphans in her care may be possessed. The Wake Up, Marconi ! Theater Company (love that name) has come up with something of a different spin on this supernatural tale.
 As adapted by Jeffery Hatcher, the production is essentially a chamber piece with only two actors performing the entire work. The Governess is played by Melissa Pinsly while the character billed as the 'Man' is Steve Cook who plays all the other parts in the show (including both children).
The play opens with Ross on a chair downstage introducing us to the story (it is only after the show is finished do we realize he could possibly be the spirit of Miles, one of the young children). "All good stories begin in a Garden," he intones (an oblique reference to the Garden of Eden and the introduction of evil into God's ordered world). The Governess is send to the Bly, the country home of Miles and Flora, by their disinterested uncle to supervise the children's upbringing. His only instruction is not to bother him with any of the details or problems (unknown to the Governess, she is one in the long line of employees). She soon discovers that the children seem to be possessed. It seems that her predecessor, Miss Jessel and Peter Quint, a former valet in the household, were having a torrid, clandestine affair and died under mysterious circumstances. The Governess becomes convinced that the dead lovers have taken over the souls of the children to continue their illicit affair. Is all this the product of the Governess' overwrought imagination or a Freudian obsession coming to the surface? Or is young Miles really the Devil (aka Quint) incarnate?
The beauty of James' story is in its' ambiguity. The various psychological facets shift as the work proceeds with many of them leaning heavily toward the sexual. We are even left questioning the ending with its implication of an exorcism.
Director Don K. Williams has done an excellent job or sustaining the tension over the 80 minute piece. He keeps his directorial flourishes to a minimum thus maximizing their effect when they do occur (a savage kiss on the mouth of the Governess is particularly shocking). Both actors are first rate. Ms. Pinsly admirably sustains her upper class accent throughout (no mean feat) and is quite convincing as she struggles to keep her panic at bay (at times reminding one of a young Joan Fontaine). Steve Cook has the flashier of the two roles playing all the other characters in the narrative. He handles all of them with aplomb and uses a commendable vocal technique to differentiate the various personas. While never showy, he is able to impress with subtle details (his use of hand gestures to characterize Miles and Flora is inspired).
If there is any flaw to be found in the production, it is in the fact that at times it comes off as a high end stage reading. With large portions of exposition needed to be delivered (usually by the Governess), concentration is sometimes hard to sustain. If one closes one's eyes (not that hard to do with Karl Chmielewski's dark, moody lighting), one feels like you're listening to an old radio serial. It's really just a minor quibble easily overlooked due to James' exceptional story and William's taut, crystalline production. The Turn of the Screw is a spooky autumnal treat.
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