Jekyll and Hyde - Hartford Stage

Jekyll and Hyde, playing now at Hartford Stage, should not be confused with the well-known Frank Wildhorn musical. This version, which kicks off the theater's current season, is a dramatic work based on the Robert Louis Stevenson novella.   Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation is entertaining and highly theatrical.  He throws in a splattering of comedic touches along with the requisite thrills and chills.  Director Melia Bensussen, working with Scenic Designer Sara Brown’s eerily Gothic set and Evan C. Anderson’s atmospheric Lighting Design, has cast members scurrying about - popping up from the floor, winding their way down an on-stage stairwell – in a well-orchestrated fast-paced manner.  Jane Shaw’s original music provides an ominous, foreboding feel to the show.

 

Nathan Darrow as Dr. Jekyll in Jekyll and Hyde.

 

The story, recounted numerous times in film, TV and stage productions, follows Dr. Henry Jekyll, a respected London-based doctor as he experiments with a potion he hopes will help repress his immoral, vile sensations.  The result is a transformation into the evil, murderous Edward Hyde.  During the timeframe of the show, we are introduced to Gabriel John Utterson, Dr. Jekyll’s lawyer friend; Utterson’s cousin, Richard Enfield; the pompous, Sir Danvers Carew, a rival of Dr. Jekyll;  a Dr Hastie Lanyon, a mutual friend of Jekyll and Utterson; Dr. Jekyll’s servant, Mr. Poole; and a hardscrabble woman, Elizabeth Jelkes, who becomes a paramour to Mr. Hyde.  All the characters interact with Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde at some point, followed by murder and mayhem for a few of them.  The end is tragedy for the dual characters.

 

Members of the cast in Jekyll and Hyde.

 

What has made the story of Jekyll and Hyde so popular over the decades are its universal themes.  There is, among others, man’s inner struggle and tension between good and the evil, the question of morality, and the conflict between one’s external decorum and private, lustful yearnings.  Hatcher has effectively woven these topics into the show without succumbing to preachiness or unnecessary orations.  The playwright puts a satisfying spin on the transformation scenes.  Nathan Darrow, who plays Dr. Jekyll with Victorian understatement, doesn’t physically contort himself, for example, like John Barrymore in the classic 1920 film version.  In this production, Mr. Hyde is represented by up to four of the other actors, which allows the action to move steadily along without unnecessary histrionics and gives a more layered approach to the transformation and resulting change.

 

Nayib Felix and Sarah Chalfie in Jekyll and Hyde.

 

Ms.  Bensussen has the acting troupe tackle the script with a straightforward, earnest approach.  She also imbues the production with some lighthearted moments to leaven out the horror and mayhem.  The director nimbly handles the transformation scenes as she keeps the play running at a lively tempo.

 

 

Nathan Darrow as Dr. Jekyll and Nayib Felix in Jekyll and Hyde.

 

Most of the actors and actresses, in addition to their primary roles, are called upon to fill in with other characters, which they do in a quick and effortless manner.  The cast, with marvelous period outfits by Costume Designer An-lin Dauber, is led by Nathan Darrow as Dr. Jekyll.  He conveys both a highbrow snootiness and the distress of a man in constant turmoil with himself.  Omar Robinson, stolid and reserved as the lawyer Gabriel Utterson, is also the most menacing of the Mr. Hydes.  Nayib Felix shows the most range in the his multiple characters, which include Dr. Carew, the Inspector and, for good measure, an intimidating Mr. Hyde.  Peter Stray gives a rewarding performance as Dr. Lanyon.  Sarah Chalfie’s Elizabeth Jelkes, an invention of Hatcher, delivers an effective portrayal of the doomed woman from the lower class.  She superbly embodies a woman of strength and resolve and is a fitting counterpoint to the upper class gentlemen.   Jennifer Rae Bareilles is satisfying in the more understated role of Mr. Poole.

 

 

 

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, playing at Hartford Stage through November 3.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.