Apr
“Two Orphans” at the Belfry
Last Sunday afternoon (4/20/08) I drove over to Noblesville to the Belfry Theatre to see “Two Orphans or In the Hands of Heaven,” by Eugene Corman & Adolphe Philippe D’Ennery as adapted from N. Hart Jackson’s 1879 translation from the French.
This melodrama was directed by Christy Clinton with two assistant directors: Ryan Shelton and Connie Laycock. Frank Hindes was the producer and Jim Williams was the technical director.
Ryan Shelton was also the Stage Manager and for this show, the stage manager’s duties included wearing a peasant costume and warming up the audience. Shelton moved around the house as people were finding their seats, schmoozing and teasing and encouraging people to boo the bad guys and cheer for the good.
So we did! It was a lot of fun.
Two sweet and innocent orphans have come to Paris to find a doctor to cure Louise (Kellen Robinson) of her blindness. Henriette (Tina Edge) takes good care of her sister, but unfortunately they are separated by misfortune. Henriette is kidnapped for prostitution, I think, (I didn’t quite follow that part of the story) by a sleazy nobleman named Antoine (Alex Aldridge) and another nobleman’s devious valet (more about him in a moment.) Louise, left alone on the street, falls into the clutches 0f a despicable old woman, La Frochard (Jean Adams) and her equally evil son, Jacques (Larry Haworth), who force her to use her beautiful singing voice to beg for money.
To make matters worse, the other Frochard son, Pierre (Earl Campbell), is lame. He is also abused by his family for refusing to beg and steal. Instead, he lugs around a huge stone wheel and sharpens knives for people, earning only a few deniers a day, but earning them honestly. He wants to help the poor, blind Louise, with whom he has fallen in love, but at first he is too afraid of what his brother and mother will do to him.
I was smitten by the handsome Pierre right from the beginning. I knew he would find his inner strength and courage eventually. And in the meantime, it was fun to shout, “You can do it, Pierre!” and to whisper with handkerchief in hand, ”Courage, mon cher!” with a French accent.
I cheered, too, for Jeanette (Dana Lesh), a fallen woman who finds redemption, and for the Countess Levant (Rhonda Tinch-Mize), an outwardly-privileged woman who has been hiding a heartbreaking secret for years. I cried in sympathy with the Countess.
Russ Clinton makes a kindly Doctor. Chris Cooper plays the gentle but ultimately strong Sister Genevieve. David Jenkins, Elyse Pence, and Erin Newlin round out the cast as sturdy Policeman and prisoners.
Each scene’s mood and action are delightfully enhanced by pianist Ginger Stoltz from backstage. Her musical interpretation is as specific and as fitting as a spoken narrative.
Occasionally one of the characters breaks into song, too. Early on, for example, an opportunistic valet named Picard (Ron Richards) sings about “These Hard Times.” This helps to set the tone of the piece overall. “Things are bad…they could get worse…” I admired Richards’ comic timing as he switched loyalties from the conniving Antoine to the radical but ethical Baron De Vaudrey (Scott Wyatt) to De Vaudrey’s equally ethical but royal-traditional uncle, Count Levant (Rob Wesley) and back again.
Later, Kellen Robinson’s lovely singing voice expresses the ache in blind Louise’s heart.
I was loyal to the peasants, of course, because this pre-revolutionary play was written just after the French revolution in order to celebrate it, but I had to admire the “royalness” of Wyatt, Wesley, and Tinch-Mize.
The several acts of the play are interspersed with funny ”olios” or talent acts: a mother-daughter(?) tap dance and poetry duo, a singing duo, a sexy strong man (Gavin Rulon), “the Great Expectorator,” a magician, and a puppet summary of the story, accompanied by Rob Wesley gorgeously singing the French national anthem!
Some of the olios are performed by actors from the show, while others are performed by guests. Looking at the program, I think the tap dancer in the frilly party dress is Maddie Shelton, but it doesn’t say who her poet colleague is. I asked the stage manager who the Mistress of Ceremonies was (Brenda Barber.) The puppets were created by Jennifer Shelton and Barbara Schlicher. I assume they are the people who manipulate them on stage, too. The stage manager called for a volunteer from the audience to help hold up the mini-curtain that formed the puppet stage. Several of the other acts incorporate volunteers as well.
All of the olios take place in front of the curtain, to entertain the audience while the sets are being changed behind it. Set Design Chair Kendell Kendell and his construction and decoration crews successfully take us to various locations in pre-revolutionary France.
Norma Floyd, Costume Chair, and her crew (Marilyn Dearmin Priscilla Turnerm, Tamara Rulon, and Susan Masek) created rich costumes out of what I think must have been very low-cost materials. I think Henriette’s gown in the later half of the play was fashioned from a lilac plastic table runner, because it reminded me of table coverings I have used myself in the past, but from my seat in the front row I could tell that the ruffle had been carefully sewn, and the fit of the bodice was perfect. Some of the men wear rich-looking brocade vests with paisley appliques, and velvet, knee-length pants. Jeanette’s red satin tart dress and Countess Levant’s elegant gown with matching purse are show-stoppers.
I also want to say a word about Alison Cardonna, the young woman in charge of the parking area. This was my third time to the Belfry. The first was a long time ago, probably before Alison was old enough to be in charge, and I don’t remember if there was anyone helping with parking then. But these past two times, Alison has been out there politely, cheerfully, and carefully guiding all of the cars into a good use of the limited space. Parking is a pleasure because of her.
As far as I know, there are two more chances to see “Two Orphans” at the Belfry. (It is a tiny theatre and often sells out.) It runs through Sunday, April 27 (tomorrow!) Call 317-773-1085 to make a reservation.
Hope Baugh - www.IndyTheatreHabit.com
