Is there a current or former high school sophomore who hasn't had to read "The Lord of the Flies"?
William Golding's 1955 novel follows a group of English schoolboys whose plane has crashed on a remote island. Left without adult supervision, the boys split into factions and descend into savagery. Biblical parallels and contemplation of good and evil make this a natural choice for the Acts of Faith Festival.
Henley Street Theatre's entry in the festival is Nigel Williams' 1998 dramatization of the story, directed by Josh Chenard. Eleven young actors play the stranded boys, an impressionistic set by Jason Winebarger provides areas for the island's beach and mountain, and Joe Doran's lights work to distinguish sections where action occurs. But the small stage at the School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community leaves no breathing room; scenes occur virtually on top of one another, with no separation.
Similarly, the script itself is compressed, with little sense of time passing; the gradual devolution of the boys from civilized to brutal seems to happen in about 48 hours. And Chenard's direction exacerbates the problem, because he cranks the energy level high — only rarely do we see a quiet scene. When the energy is up, the noise is up, the dialogue is fast, and the British-accented speech becomes indistinct.
But there are elements that merit praise, from Nicole Slaven's tattered costumes to James Ricks' eerie sound design to Renina Hoblitz's dialect coaching.
And the four principal actors are moving and powerful in their roles. Drew Sease is frightening as the bully Jack; Sean Wyland's performance as martyred Simon is affecting and heartfelt; Eric Evans is stalwart and courageous as beleaguered Ralph, the group's elected leader; and Matthew Barger — whose voice is extraordinary — is excellent as Piggy, annoying, smart, whiny and pitiable.
There's much fodder here for the contemplation of Acts of Faith audiences. The spectacle of cruelty versus kindness, chaos versus order is endlessly interesting, and "The Lord of the Flies" is sure to inspire discussion.
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