The Voysey Inheritance
The fourth show
of 2nd Story Theatre's season is "The Voysey
Inheritance". The show was written in 1905
by Harley Granville-Barker and David Mamet has adapted
the show into 2 acts from the original 5 act show
reducing it from four hours to two." The Voysey
Inheritance" is an impeccably crafted yarn chronicling a
family in the midst of a moral dilemma. For generations,
the Voysey family business has been cheating its
clients, they spend all the investors' capital to
support a lavish lifestyle. And when an honorable son
inherits the company, he's horrified to discover the
secret of his family's wealth. Edward Voysey who has
just inherited the reins of the firm and breaks the bad
news, is the only member of the family moved to shame at
the discovery that the just-deceased paterfamilias had
been bilking clients to support his family in style.
Edward is determined to call in the law, come clean and
face the consequences. His discovery that this path may
not be as easy to pursue as it seems forms the substance
of this play. The only problem is he will have to
continue to carry on the practices of his father while
he does so. All would have worked out had it not been
for an old friend of his father that doesn't trust
Edward and demands all of his money. An Edwardian-era
Ponzi scheme, the show is part drawing room comedy, part
love story, part business-and-finance drama.
Granville-Barker's very prescient, very timely tale
could have been ripped from today's headlines. Does the
name Madoff ring a bell? Ed Shea leads his 12 member
cast in an entertaining and energetic show of intrigue
of a family in crises. This show reaches high levels of
intensity that have the audience gasping at what they
are witnessing. The performers in this show mesmerize
the audience.
Ed casts these
roles beautifully and obtains brilliant portrayals from
his cast. There is only one entrance into the room where
people come in for a discussion on what has happened.
The topnotch lighting is by Ron Allen and the gorgeous
early twentieth century costumes are by Ron Cesario.
Production manager Max Ponticelli keeps things running
smoothly. Bob Colonna charms the audience as the father
who is a financial sociopath who doesn't care about who
he has stolen the money from. He explains he borrowed it
to use in stock market speculation. Bob does topnotch
work in the confrontation scene with his son Edward. His
line to Edward that he is his father's son tries to
justify the older man's position. Jeff Hodge is every bit
his acting equal as the conscientious son who wants to
repay the firms clients. He shows the dilemma and
problems he faces now that he knows the truth. Jeff is
onstage the entire show and delivers a wonderful
portrayal as he explains precise entries in the ledger
to his father as well as his interactions with his
siblings, his mother and the other characters in the
show.
Edward has 5
siblings, three brothers and two sisters.Ara Boghigian
is Hugh who is an artist, doesn't give a hoot about the
money gives a terrific performance in this role in the
second act where he confides in Edward and later argues
loudly with Booth. Nick Thibeault is Trenchard, a lawyer
who is pompous and boorish, proclaiming he never got
along with their father. Michael LoCicero plays Major
Booth, wears mutton chop whiskers, commands the stage as
the boisterous brother who runs roughshod over
everyone. Booth is blustery and demanding, claims they
must keep the honor of the family intact. Honor, the
no-nonsense sister and Ethel, the naive younger
sister are played by Erin Sheehan who helps save the day
for Edward in the Christmas scene and Elise Arsenault
who is a spitfire in this role. His mother is
wonderfully played by Joan Batting who lends a deaf ear
to his pleas to right the wrongs of the past and says
her inheritance is separate from the tainted money. His
one ally in the house is Alice Maitland, his childhood
sweetheart played beautifully by Lara Maynard. She gives
the character the warmth and understanding of Edward's
plight beautifully and gives the show a surprise ending.
Jonathan Jacob plays Peasy, the main clerk in the
firm who demands hush money from Edward. He does a
topnotch job in this scene as the smarmy clerk. Tom
Oakes as George Booth, the firm's main client who trusts
the father implicitly but not the son who is more honest
and truthful. Tom and Jeff's scene in the second act
crackle with sparks at Tom's emotion packed performance.
Rounding out the cast is Burr Harrison as the money
hungry minister. So for an interesting look back in this
new adaptation by David Mamet, be sure to catch "The
Voysey Inheritance". The more things change, the more
they stay the same and the audience discovers what was
reprehensible in 1905, is still so over a hundred years
later.
THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE ( 12 March to 11 April, 2010)
2nd Story Theatre, 28 Market Street, Warren, RI
1(401)247-4200 or www.2ndstorytheatre.com