TOM TITUS -- Theater Review

From “Faust” to “Damn Yankees,” the theater has traditionally given

the devil his due. The latest example of Old Scratch crossing the

footlights is “Tom Walker,” now on the Second Stage of South Coast

Repertory.

John Strand’s historical saga, inspired by a Washington Irving folk

tale, had its genesis at SCR in last year’s Pacific Playwrights Festival,

but it was officially born a few months later on the correct coast in

Washington, D.C. Now “Tom Walker” is back home for its West Coast

premiere with many of the same actors who midwifed the play at SCR and

performed at Washington’s Arena Stage.

The play is set in the early 18th century -- 50 years before the fires

of independence would begin stirring in the colonies -- and contains the

same maddening verb tenses found in such similar period plays as “The

Crucible.” Once the audience gets beyond these sour notes, Strand’s

characters become quite involving, if occasionally confusing.

The Tom Walker of the title is a shiftless fiddler, a bottom feeder on

the 1727 food chain who has never encountered a form of labor he admired.

Married to the queen of the shrews, he spends as much time away from his

humble abode as possible, taking the long way home through the swamp --

where he encounters Satan himself, with a soul-bartering proposition.

Thus begins a roller-coaster ride from rags to riches and back again,

skillfully staged by Kyle Donnelly with appropriate fire and brimstone.

There are more twists and turns than a Hitchcock movie, and Strand has

given virtually all of his characters a duplicitous nature for the

purpose of outfoxing one another.

As the title character, Simon Billig delivers a splendidly layered

performance, balancing his character between the dregs and the drawing

room. He is most impressive in his quest for revenge, which ignites the

no-holds-barred second act.

Wendell Wright dominates the stage as the booming-voiced black man who

may, or may not, be the devil incarnate. He’s a cunning, crafty creature,

physically and vocally imposing, with a twinkling eye hinting that all’s

not on the surface of his persona.

Tom’s contentious, disagreeable spouse is well-developed by Colette

Kilroy, who’s on stage far too infrequently. The other woman in his life,

a widow torn between pride and desperation, is nicely enacted by Martha

Hackett.

Margaret Laurena Kemp interprets the Puckish narrator Cora, who

assists her father (Wright) in his devilish deeds, slyly setting up the

scenes and filling in the narrative blanks. J. Fred Shiffman completes

the cast in a variety of roles, most notably a drunk reminiscent of the

unintelligible Gabby Johnson character in the movie “Blazing Saddles.”

The tangled web of chicanery is woven against a grimly utilitarian

setting designed by John McDermott, punctuated by ropes that descend from

the ceiling to suggest a swampy atmosphere. Lindsay W. Davis’ dark, often

dingy costumes underscore the aura of the period, while Nancy Shertler’s

eerie lighting effects complete the not-so-pretty picture.

“Tom Walker” blends 18th century superstition with modern irony in a

plot-heavy package that still has room for ample characterization. It’s a

devilishly clever concept.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Thursdays and Saturdays.

FYI

WHAT: “Tom Walker”

WHERE: South Coast Repertory Second Stage, 655 Town Center Drive,

Costa Mesa

WHEN: 7:45 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 2 and 7:45 p.m. Saturdays

and Sundays until May 27.

TICKETS: $26-$47

PHONE: (714) 708-5555