‘Bad Seed’ still chills at the Trilogy
Tom Titus
It’s been nearly a half century since little Patty McCormack
chilled the blood of Broadway and movie audiences as the charming
8-year-old murderess in “The Bad Seed,” but this vehicle never seems
to run out of steam when it comes to electrifying its viewers.
In a hauntingly effective revival of Maxwell Anderson’s play
(which he based on William March’s novel), Costa Mesa’s Trilogy
Playhouse is presenting this well-known, but still somewhat
terrifying, story for a new generation of audiences.
The idea that a little girl could inherit, from her murderess
grandmother, the genes that would enable her to kill without
conscience seems somewhat specious today. But “The Bad Seed” occurs
in the 1950s, when heredity vs. environment was a more viable issue.
Director Alicia Butler has fashioned a generally compelling
production, anchored by two young ladies who take turns in the role
of that perfect little pigtailed angel, Rhoda Penmark. At Sunday’s
performance, Robyn Mack smiled and curtseyed her way through the part
of the willful and lethal character with a marvelous blend of
cuteness and savagery. Allison Aoun will appear as Rhoda in other
performances.
Sharon Simonian delivers the performance of her career at the
Trilogy as Rhoda’s distraught mother, who learns the secret of her
own origin at a time when her daughter’s behavior alerts her to the
possibility that murderous traits may be passed down through the
generations. Simonian skillfully projects a maternal warmth measured
by the knowledge that she has, in effect, created a monster, and
faces her awful choice with steely resolve.
The Penmarks’ chatty landlady, nicely acted by Suzy Thatcher,
injects a bit of fluttery comic relief into the production. Thatcher
manages to usurp most of her scenes by the force of her personality.
James Mulligan adds a darker quality as the ominously half-witted
janitor Leroy, who crosses the young felon once too often.
Accelerated dialogue, particularly in a Southern setting, trips up
a pair of potentially well-targeted performances. Tal Feingold allows
her swift pacing to compromise her character of a dead boy’s drunken
mother, while Melody Patterson’s tart schoolteacher blends an overly
fast tempo with a monotone delivery to neutralize her brief effect.
James Manley Green richly interprets the role of Simonian’s
journalist father, well-versed in the family’s closeted skeleton, and
Tom Moss is a spirited mystery writer. George Pelham adds a folksy
twang to the part of Thatcher’s bachelor brother, while Tony Sanchez
does fine double duty as the husbands of both Simonian and Feingold
(heavily bearded for the latter assignment).
Mulligan’s set design is an attractive 1950s model, but the
playhouse encounters some problems in the area of lighting, where
several dead spots leave actors’ faces in shadows. Cindy Simonian’s
musical background sets an eerie tone, blending the notes from
Rhoda’s piano piece (“Au Claire de la Lune”) into the theme.
The 1956 movie version of “The Bad Seed” (even with its contrived
Hollywood ending) was a shocker for its time, and Anderson’s play
continues, into the 21st century, to unsettle its audiences,
especially those viewing the story for the first time. The Trilogy
Playhouse continues this tradition quite nicely.
* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His
reviews appear Thursdays and Saturdays.
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