Standing in front of me is the Inquisitor. Imposing and stern, he informs us that we are tasked with looking for any sign of witchcraft amongst the townsfolk. As soon as he departs the stage, two women stand and speak to each other of curses to cast on others who have harmed them. It seems our search will not take long at all.
December 16, 2019 saw the most recent Wicked Lit Staged Readings in Pasadena, California, a collaboration between A Noise Within and Unbound productions. Three different tales were performed as live staged readings. The audience watched actors reading these three dark, supernatural tales from the scripts with limited performance aspects provided. With one tale about monsters from outside space and time, a second about witches, and a final ghost story, Wicked Lit Staged Readings offered a full night of horror in the safety of a theatrical space.
Theatrical company A Noise Within produces the Wicked Lit Staged Readings. Founded in 1991, A Noise Within consistently offers productions of classic plays such as Shakespeare, and darker stories such as the Wicked Lit performances during the Halloween season. This evening’s staged readings were a little different than a full production, having actors standing on the stage and reading directly from the scripts instead of creating a full performance for each role. Nevertheless, the actors’ skills generated an interesting evening of scary stories for the audience to enjoy.
The first tale is From Beyond, adapted by Trey Nichols from the story by H.P. Lovecraft, and directed by Shaina Rosenthal. With only four actors, this story brought us a terrifying tale of a vanished scientist, the other scientist accused of murdering him, and the two police officers (one inspector, one deputy) tasked with trying to solve the apparent crime. However, the accused scientist (portrayed with palpable desperation by Eric Keitel) instead informs the Inspector (laced with accurate and stern pomposity by Richard Large) of what actually happened to the supposed victim (given inspired madness by Chairman Barnes). In the process, the audience learns that the true story here is not one of murder, but instead of ancient gods attempting to break through into our reality. Should they succeed, a single murder will be a drop in the bucket compared to the horrors to come. The performances here were very sharp, driving home how terrifying the unknown can be and how much more frightening reality can become when our fears turn out to be justified.
Next comes a story about witches called The Unholy Sisters, by Susannah Myrvold, inspired by The Malleus Maleficarum by Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger, and directed by Paul Millet. The idea of hunting witches and the paranoia that drives it is such a common trope that it can become tiresome. Fortunately, this narrative alters the concept, moving it in a much more interesting direction. A young servant woman named Malin (played with a dark, enchanting seductiveness by Ilona Kulinska) is driven from her position because she has gotten too close to the son of the household, Alfonse (Paul Romero). This relationship is problematic because his father, The Baron (Andrew Thacher), has ordered Alfonse to marry the wealthy Adalheida (the richly arrogant Meghan Lewis). Angered at the unfair treatment she has been given, Malin turns to two older women considered by the town to be witches. Magda (Melanie MacQueen) and Grimhilde (Wendy Elizabeth Abraham) do actually turn out to be witches, for once, and they take Malin under their wing in order to help her destroy the family in revenge. Spurred on by MacQueen and Abraham’s great performances and Kulinska’s transformation from angry servant to vengeful attacker, The Unholy Sisters becomes almost as gleeful as it is terrible, and lets the audience be almost as responsible for what happens as the three women are. It is a darkly pleasurable tale for anyone who’s ever wanted to get even.
The final reading of the evening is The Grove of Rashomon, adapted by Jonathan Josephson from the short story In A Grove by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, and directed by Darrell Kunitomi. This reading takes a different approach to the narrative than the previous ones, in that it is based on the Japanese culture that originated the short story. Brought to life by seven different actors, The Grove of Rashomon focuses largely on the character Chiyoko (played with heartbreaking passion by Sachi K.). Chiyoko is a mother whose daughter, Masago (Alpha Takahashi), has gone missing. A villainous criminal, Tajomaru (West Liang), is accused of killing her and executed. Chiyoko, however, hopes that her daughter might still be alive, so she undertakes a journey to call dead spirits back to life to uncover her daughter’s true location. While each of the stories here are staged readings, The Grove of Rashomon reaches for a deeper performance style through the repeated striking of bells as each ghost departs, and the complete commitment of the actors to portraying their emotions. Sachi K.’s wails as she pays the cost of a year of her life each time she summons a ghost are incredibly full of sadness and despair. Takahashi’s flip between the innocence of a maid and the anger of a tormented soul is razor sharp, expected, and most welcome. Liang’s bitter, wearied and brutally harsh portrayal of Tajomaru makes the character almost sympathetic – even as he relays a horrifying event he actively chose to take part in. The actors in this piece are so committed to giving a performance as close to full as possible while still being a staged reading and it makes this tale the best of the night.
Staged readings can be dry and flat. A Noise Within’s Wicked Lit Staged Readings are a performance worth watching to see how powerful the language of theater can be. The Wicked Lit Staged Readings allow audiences to focus on the simplicity of an actor speaking their part without the complexities of stage design or costume. It allows us to relish in the journey of actors at the height of their game delivering a story to us purely through their own voices and mannerisms. It’s an example of how powerful the right words performed by the right actors can be, and I look forward to the next Staged Readings so I can enjoy the experience all over again.
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