Against the backdrop of Victorian London, the respected Dr. Henry Jekyll has begun to display alarmingly erratic behavior.
His experiments with exotic “powders and tinctures” have brought forth his other self—Edward Hyde, a brutal figure who is now haunting the city’s streets, committing assault and murder under the cloak of darkness and dismal fog.
When Hyde meets a woman who stirs his interest, Jekyll fears for her life and decides to end his experiments. But Mr. Hyde has other ideas, and soon the two sides are involved in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
Directed by Theatre Visiting Lecturer Jenna Cole and presented by the West Virginia University Division of Theatre and Dance, “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” opens Thursday (Oct. 28) at 7:30 p.m. in the newly renovated Metropolitan Theatre in downtown Morgantown. There will be performances Oct. 29-30 at 7:30 p.m. and a matinee Oct. 31 at 2 p.m.
“Lust, wickedness, brutality, love, and the mystery of the red door,” Cole explains. “We wonder who is behind it, and what will happen next. In Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic Victorian tale, a small company of actors play many different characters, which gives them a great opportunity to bring their vocal and physical talents to life. It’s a treat to see them transform right before our very eyes.”
“There is also a lot of humor in the play,” Cole adds, “but at its core is an unrelenting psychological thriller, and Hatcher’s adaptation gives a more complex and theatrical interpretation of good and evil, and all of the gradations in between.”
“As one reviewer said: ‘This is not your grandfather’s ‘Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.’”
Cole is currently in her second year of teaching at WVU. She received her MFA in acting from the American Conservatory Theater and was a resident artist and teacher for 15 years at A Noise Within Theatre in Los Angeles. She has taught at Chapman University, Pomona College, and in the conservatory programs at South Coast Repertory and Geva Theatre Center. Cole has directed productions of “As You Like It,” Public Transport,” “Mill Girls,” “Under Milkwood,” and last semester’s studio acting project of “La Ronde.”
As an actor, Cole has performed in “It’s A Wonderful Life” (with Alfred Molina and Michael Richards), “Private Lives,” and the American premiere of “Star Quality” at the Pasadena Playhouse; the world premiere of the musical “The Wind in the Willows” at South Coast Repertory; as Helena in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl; as well as in “Much Ado About Nothing,” “The Seagull,” “Hay Fever,” “The Three Sisters,” “Tartuffe,” and “The Winter’s Tale,” for which she won the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award.
Her film and television appearances include “The Homestead,” “Her Last Chance,” “The Nightstalker,” “Changes,” “LA Law,” “Picket Fences,” “Pros and Cons,” “The George Carlin Show,” “Hardball,” “Saved by the Bell,” “The Bold and the Beautiful,” numerous commercials, and recording work for DVD-Special Features including, “The Hours,” “Laura,” “King Kong-1933,” “Charlotte’s Web 2,” and “Pooh’s Grand Adventure.”
Ohio-native Jeffrey Hatcher is one of the most prolific and frequently produced playwrights working in the United States today. The WVU Division of Theatre and Dance will also produce another of his plays, titled “The Compleat Female Stage Beauty,” during Nov. 18-19 and Nov. 30-Dec. 3 at the Creative Arts Center.
The cast of “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” features WVU acting student Greg Holt as Dr. Henry Jekyll, Ashley Shade as Elizabeth Jelkes, and Alex C. Estrella as Edward Hyde. All of the other actors in the play perform several different roles, with more than one of them appearing as Edward Hyde.
The acting ensemble also includes Todd Berkich, Austin Barnett, Gailyn Neutzling, Nicholas Hanni and C.J. Bonde.
Scene design is by theater professor Robert Klingelhoefer, costumes are by theater professor Mary McClung, and the lighting designer is theater professor Alan McEwen. Sound design is by student Will Oxley, with guest composer Roberta Carlson. The production manager and technical director is theater professor Steven Neuenschwander.
The Metropolitan Theatre is located at 369 High St., in downtown Morgantown. Parking is available in the city parking garages located at Spruce and Chestnut streets.
For tickets or more information, call the Mountainlair or CAC Box Offices at (304) 293-SHOW. Tickets are $20 for the general public, $18 for WVU employees and senior citizens, and $15 for WVU students with ID. A special ticket price of $10 per person is available for groups of 10 or more.
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CONTACT: Charlene Lattea, College of Creative Arts
304-293-4359, Charlene.Lattea@mail.wvu.edu
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