Kiss of the Spider Woman
Book by Terrence McNally
Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Based on the Novel by Manuel Puig
Directed by Michael J. Drury
Reviewed by Craig Nolan Highley
Entire contents copyright © 2012 by Craig Nolan Highley. All rights
reserved.
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| Janelle-Renee Hunnicutt as the Spider Woman and Neill Robertson as Molina in Kiss of the Spider Woman. Photo by Michael Drury |
There are times when I write these reviews that I struggle for days to
find the right words to convey my opinion of a given production. There have
been times when I try very hard not to be too cruel to a production that is
lacking, or not to gush too overtly about a show I found to be really
outstanding. But I can’t recall when I have ever had the extreme number of
superlatives that come to mind when I try to describe Pandora’s latest production.
I believe I am not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the
greatest locally produced theatrical pieces I have had the pleasure of seeing.
It is certainly the best thing I’ve seen in the small space of the Henry Clay
Theater, and truly a landmark piece for Pandora. The company will be hard
pressed to ever top it.
On the surface, it’s an ugly story that takes place during a
particularly ugly place in history. In 1977, when Argentina is in a state of
political uproar, an effeminate gay man called Molina (Neill Robertson) is
thrown into a hellish prison on a trumped-up charge. Molina is obsessed with
the movies, and only manages to survive his state by dreaming up memories of
his favorite movie star, Aurora (Janelle-Renee Hunnicut).
His new cellmate is Valentin (Mason Stewart), a political prisoner and
part of a revolutionary group trying to overthrow the government. The two men
form an uneasy friendship that may or may not lead to love, but is complicated
by a sadistic warden (Andy Epstein) and his guards as they try to force Molina
to spy on Valentin.
It is a very dark tale from start to finish, and the attention to detail
is astonishing. In the shadows behind the main action, for example, we can see
the other prisoners living in as bad or worse conditions. In one corner a man
flagellates himself after being sodomized by his cellmate; another rocks and murmurs
to himself. It truly creates a realm of humiliation and human decay, and to
call the effect unsettling is an understatement.
In stark contrast, the score by Kander and Ebb, especially the numbers
performed by Aurora, are bright and ebullient. It is easy to see why Molina
wants to escape from his nightmarish existence into this fantasy world.
That’s not to say that the music doesn’t have its poignant moments as
well. The soulful, heart-wrenching songs performed by Molina and Valentin,
together and separately, are as powerful as the nightmarish imagery.
This fantastic production is carried by two amazing performances by
Robertson and Stewart. Robertson avoids any camp or caricature in his portrayal
of Molina, giving the character a fragile dignity that never feels forced as
the character arcs from the frail victim to the strong hero he ultimately
becomes. As Valentin, Stewart is also amazing as we watch him travel almost a
complete reversal of Molina’s arc; starting off as brash and swaggering, but
showing more and more of a sensitive side as the play goes on. Absolutely
stellar work.
Hunnicut has a lovely voice and is a beautiful woman but strangely
underplays the role of Aurora; it’s a role that calls for a larger-than-life
persona, and she doesn’t quite pull it off. It isn’t a bad performance by any
means, but not quite big enough. It’s the only thing about this production that
didn’t quite work.
In the supporting roles, nearly everyone in the cast gets his or her
moment to shine, with especially strong work by Epstein, Carol Tyree Williams,
Joseph Hatfield, Ben Gierhart and Patrick Vaughn.
On the technical side, things are just as amazing, especially the way
the wrinkles in the black curtains of the backdrop combine with lighting
effects to create a giant spider web. Costumes and props are also period
appropriate. The choreography by Christopher Gilbert is also spectacular and
deserves a mention.
It’s not exactly a feel-good show, but nonetheless very moving and one I
have not been able to stop thinking about.
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Featuring Blair Boyd, Patrick Brophy, Adam Caperton, Nick Duett, Andy
Epstein, Ben Gierhart, Christopher Gilbert, Joseph Hatfield, Janelle-Renee
Hunnicut, Steve Jones, Sean Patrick, Gerald Robertson, Neill Robertson, Eric
Sharp, Mason Stewart, Patrick Vaughn and Carol Tyree Williamson.
September 13- 23
Pandora Productions
at The Henry Clay Theatre
604 S. Third St.
Louisville, KY
(502) 585-5306
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