Selling Your Soul to the Devil

Witch

Loosely adapted by Jen Silverman from the Jacobean play, “The Witch of Edmonton,” this prolific and talented playwright also gave us “The Roommate,” the tense two-hander presented by Steppenwolf Theatre, and “The Moors,” seen a while back at A Red Orchid Theatre. In Silverman’s 95-minute supernatural tale they offer a captivating, freshly told and mesmerizing story of six individuals who are all hoping to sell their souls to achieve  something. Even the Devil, as cocky and confident as he appears to be, has his own aspirations. Employing contemporary dialogue, complete with 21st century expletives and expressions, audiences can’t help but associate this need to achieve with our current political and social climate. In spite of Rachel Lambert’s authentic 17th century costumes, each character still feels startlingly familiar and au courant.

The townspeople are all convinced that Elizabeth Sawyer is a witch and they’ve made her life a living hell. She’s become the scapegoat for everything that goes wrong in Edmonton, a small, village located outside Jacobean London. Miss Sawyer, standing tall and bathed in light, opens the play with a sharp and beautifully interpreted monologue. Her words seethe with pain, sarcasm, loneliness and a desire for hope. Elizabeth is a smart, but friendless woman. But by the end of this play, theatergoers will learn that in this unusual woman the Devil has finally met his match.

The plot centers around Scratch, a Devil attempting to buy souls from the citizens of a small town, in exchange for each individual’s greatest wish. Cuddy Banks hopes to be rid of hunky Frank Thorney, the peasant that his father, Sir Arthur Banks, has enthusiastically taken into his castle as an adopted son. Frank, true to his quietly greedy disposition, wants to trade his soul for the assurance that Sir Arthur will provide an inheritance that’ll guarantee him a bright future. Winnifred, Frank’s secretly pregnant wife, and Sir Arthur’s maid, has one simple wish. Despite Frank’s unfaithfulness, Winnifred wants to be buried next to her husband in the family graveyard, so they can spend eternity together. But Elizabeth, the Witch of Edmonton, stuns the handsome, self-centered Scratch by turning down all of his offers. Despite her miserable, lonely life Elizabeth doesn’t want for anything. Or at least, that’s what she says.

Directed with passion and clarity by Artistic Home Ensemble member, Devon Carson, this production is truly an actor-driven production. Kevin Hagan’s sparse scenic design forces the audience to focus primarily on each character. Scenes are delineated simply by one or two pieces of well-chosen furniture. The one constant is the castle’s huge dining table, continually laden with food. It provides a reminder of Sir Arthur Banks’ wealth, while contrasting Elizabeth Sawyer’s abject poverty. The upstage is also enveloped by a series of massive windows, hung with draperies that change color as Scratch works his magic. As the story progresses, a lovely artistic device is employed. A lighted candle is passed from one character to the next to transition to the next scene. This thread of continuity works well, especially when coupled with the actors’ stylized movement that connects the episodes.

The cast features two standouts in the leading roles. Lovely Kristin Collins is enthralling as Elizabeth Sawyer, a real person ostracized from Edmonton society. She was eventually accused, convicted and hung for witchcraft. Ms. Collins’ first monologue, and throughout each scene with the seductive Devil, this actress is always in complete charge of the story. With every look, subtle gesture and well-aimed barb, Kristin Collins holds the audience in the palm of her hand.

She’s matched by handsome and talented Julian Hester as Scratch, the Devil. Playing this supernatural adversary with a natural, blithe honesty, Mr. Hester is totally engaging and completely easygoing as Scratch. He plays the Devil with command and confidence until he discovers that he’s fallen in love with his most reluctant victim. It’s then that Scratch suddenly realizes he that doesn’t understand how to take “no” for an answer.

The rest of the cast portray their roles with conviction, but sometimes the actors tend to overplay their hand. Delightful in Artistic Home’s wonderful “Malapert Love,” Declan Collins has their best scene at the beginning of the play opposite Scratch, as a young man making his bargain with the Devil in the village pub. From then on Mr. Collins’ performance becomes too big for this intimate theatrical space. The young actor, along with Todd Wojcik as Sir Arthur Banks, Cuddy’s father, could both do well to just dial it back a bit. Ernest Henton, who plays Sir Arthur’s favorite “son,” Frank, has the opposite problem. Even as a scoundrel, Mr. Henton is likable; but he’s so soft-spoken in most of his scenes that he sometimes fades into the background. Ariana Lopez, however, is quite good as Winnifred, Frank’s pregnant wife. As Sir Arthur’s put-upon servant, Ms. Lopez is typically ignored, but her physical response is perfect. It’s when she confronts Frank about his intentions, confessing that she’s carrying his child, that Winnifred truly excels. Ms. Lopez’s final scene with Scratch is a beautiful moment, as well.

Jen Silverman confirms again that they’re a gifted playwright to be taken seriously. Ms. Silverman’s work ranks up there with the very best, as illustrated by so many Chicago productions. In this sharp adaptation of a little-known Jacobean drama, the playwright has injected new life into an old story from four centuries ago. With just a few twists and by updating the language to today’s vernacular, Ms. Silverman has created a mesmerizing one-act drama that’s filled with unexpected humor and feels as thematically contemporary as today’s headlines. Artistic Home’s fine production begs audiences to ponder the art of the deal and what it would take to sell your soul to the Devil.   

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented October 28-December 3 by Artistic Home at the Den Theatre, 1331 W. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the Den box office, by calling 773-697-3830, or by going to www.thedentheatre.com.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.