Theatrical Review: The Desperate Hours by Joseph Hayes

THE DESPERATE HOURS
Written by: Joseph Hayes
Directed by: Susan Butler
Theatrical Review by: Paul Adam Smeltz

Our Good Friends at The Center Stage Players presented the first production of their 2007 season with Joseph Hayes’ “The Desperate Hours” in The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee on the Delaware, PA which may bring to mind the classic film made during the 1950s staring Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March. The play focuses on what has become known as a home invasion where three escaped convicts set themselves up in a home to await money that’ll enhance their ability to elude the police who are searching for them. The family are terrorized by the convicts as they do their best to endure and survive the situation they find themselves in.

The play entices each audience member to ask themselves, “What would I do?” We see the situation unfolding and begin to devise our remedies to the scenarios we’re being witnessed to. However, we slowly begin to realize we may not think as clearly when actually faced with a similar situation as we would be merely viewing it from a detached perspective. Therefore, the play encourages its viewers to examine their own sense of certainty and allows them to understand those who may not take the perfect actions to remedy their situations.

Although The Center Stage Players is well know for its numerous stellar productions, “The Desperate Hours” is not their best show. The time in which the play was written doesn’t seem to translate well into our modern times in spite of the attempts to modernize it with cordless phones and other gadgets. Also, in the 50 plus years since the play was written, many potential members of the audience have become used to the more sophisticated and realistic crime dramas found on television.

In addition to this, the acting was a bit uneven. There is a motto among those who study the theatrical arts which states “Acting is reacting.” There were many times I’ve noticed actors reacting to things that hasn’t yet occurred. This anticipation took away from the sense of the characters experiencing things for the first time as we do in real life. I’ve also noticed how some actors delivered their line in a certain register which varied little or none at all. This took away from any sense of tension the production could have created as it prohibited a climax in emotion since everything was the same. This observation is unfortunate as these actors have proven they could do better work.

The Production was Directed by Susan Butler (who also served as Set Designer) and Stage Managed by Lillian Gonzalez. The large cast included Jack Butler who portrayed Mr. Paterson and served as Assistant Director and Set Designer, Our Good Friend Amy Cramer who portrayed Eleanor Hilliard and served in Publicity, Dan Eash who portrayed Jesse Bard, Ed Erm who portrayed Robish, Mary Stewart Erm who portrayed Miss. Swift, Glen Geisner-Getz who portrayed Dan Hilliard, Andrew Hendry who portrayed Ralphie Hilliard, Kyle Hess who portrayed the voice of Dutch, Tom Leeds who portrayed Chuck Wright, Chris Martinelli who portrayed Glenn Griffen, Kaitlen Miller who portrayed Cindy Hilliard, Christine Oberg who portrayed Harriet Carson, Steve Paugh who portrayed Lt. Carl Fredericks, Mark Pender who portrayed Tom Einston, and Brant Snuffer who portrayed Hank Griffen. Other members of the production staff included Arthur Ritter who served as Lighting Designer, Sarah Hendry Jesse Berlane who served as a Light/Sound Technician, Katherine Neville who served in Publicity and Designed the Program/Flyer for the production, and Roselinda Karlson provided production photographs.

“The Desperate Hours” by Joseph Hayes is currently being performed at The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee on the Delaware, PA. The Production runs until Sunday April 29th and continues on May 4th, 5th, and 6th. Please call 570-424-4050 ext 1544 for information and ticket reservation.

Numerous photographs relating to the production can be found in The Forwardian Arts Society Theatre 07 Gallery on The Forwardian Arts Society Blog at myspace.com/forwardian_arts.