Where Is the Money?

The Night of the Hunter

The canon of mysteries and thrillers, scripts written expressly for the theater, has increased in recent years. Sometimes original works, or those adapted from novels and loosely based upon popular films, are typically box office hits. Recent productions of plays like “Deathtrap,” “Sleuth,” “The Pillowman,” “London Road,” “Wait Until Dark,” “Night Watch” and Agatha Christie classics, like “Witness for the Prosecution” and “The Mousetrap,” have become increasingly popular. Even musical thrillers, such as the recent hit Broadway revival of “Sweeney Todd,” the long-running “The Phantom of the Opera,” cult hits like “Little Shop of Horrors” or the dark and bloody “American Psycho” play to sell-out audiences.

City Lit is jumping on the bloody bandwagon by presenting a World Premiere by Chicago-based actor and playwright, Shawna Tucker. She has adapted Davis Grubb’s bestselling 1953 thriller novel, The Night of the Hunter, for the stage. The title may be familiar to movie aficionados because of the popular classic 1955 film noir adaptation. It starred Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters and, after “Citizen Kane,” is considered one of the greatest films ever made. Ms Tucker’s theatrical adaptation is faithful to both the book and the film, but the production feels a little choppy in its construction and direction, and some of the performances come off as too broad.

Grubb’s novel was based upon the true criminal recount of Harry Powers, a serial killer who was hanged in West Virginia for the murders of two widows and three children. The film and, more specifically, Shawna Tucker’s theatrical adaptation, are both set during the Great Depression in the rural South, along the banks of the Ohio River. The play depicts the final horrific crimes of former convict and serial killer, Harry Powell. He has the words “Love” and “Hate” tattooed on the knuckles of his hands. While in prison for theft, Powell, who calls himself Preacher, shared a cell with Ben Harper, whose bank robbery yielded a whopping $10,000. Harper also killed two men in the process so he’s sentenced to death. 

Harper will soon hang, so Preacher Powell is determined to coerce him into confessing where he hid the stolen cash before he’s executed. Powell fails to get Harper’s confession, so once he’s released from prison Preacher sets off to woo Willa, Ben Harper’s hardworking widow. He also tries to charm her two young children, John and Pearl. Preacher’s convinced that they know where the money is hidden. Powell soon marries Willa and wins over naive little Pearl, but young John instinctively doesn’t trust the con man. And rightly so, because the tension begins building and the violence starts ramping up until the play’s brutal conclusion.

There are performances in this production that range from excellent (Shawna Tucker, not only the adaptor but also playing the story’s very likable and natural narrator and protagonist, Miz Cooper, as well as excellent Bryan Breau as the evil Jekyll and Hyde-like, Preacher Powell); to very good (Kendal Romero, as Willa Harper, a strong woman trying to help her kids survive hardship and a number of bad situations, and both Mary Margaret McCormack and Jacqui Touchet who do well in their performances as Pearl and John, Willa’s two young children). I still think, however, despite Ms. Touchet’s stalwart performance, that a male actor would’ve worked a little better as John.  

Unfortunately, many of the other performances are too exaggerated, with actors coming across as the stereotypical foolish or feebleminded backwoods southerner. Some of these performances are possibly director Brian Pastor’s attempt to inject some humor into this unsavory story. But the result is often like a rerun of “The Beverly Hillbillies.” Thankfully, veteran actor Rich Cotovsky mines the needed honesty and compassion out of his supporting character, Uncle Birdie, young John’s only friend and confidant in the play. And Alex Albrecht also turns in a mostly grounded performance as Ben Harper; however when the actor returns in later scenes playing several minor characters, it’s like Gomer Pyle has suddenly appeared.

The staccato feel of the play can be partly attributed to the cinematic style of Ms. Tucker’s script. The opening sing-song hangman number goes on far too long. I imagined a shorter, prerecorded echo soundtrack being much more effective. Then, as the play progressed, most of the subsequent scenes were, in contrast, quite short. Theatergoers would just become invested in a scene when it would abruptly end. 

But Brian Pastor’s direction is also choppy. Each short scene ends in a blackout, momentarily taking the audience out of the story. In the semidarkness we hear a table, chairs, platforms that become beds or a small boat sliding on and off the stage. Then the lights are restored and the plot continues. Speaking of lights, the production is over-lit. The bright wash of lighting is fine for a comedy, but not a dark thriller. I think that if lighting designer Liz Cooper had taken her cue from the film, and created a dimmer, more shadowy film noir lighting plot, the production would’ve better captured the essence of the book and been much scarier. Jeremiah Barr’s two-level set design works well and Rachel S. Parent does a serviceable job of designing costumes that seem appropriate for the time and place.

One final shoutout to whomever is responsible for creating the beautiful artwork featured on the play’s posters and programs. It’s a perfect depiction of the play told in a single image, and says everything about this chilling tale of greed, deception and loss of innocence. Shawna Tucker’s adaptation is generally fine, but could be shortened, especially toward the end. It could also use some editing that would make the story smoother, more cohesive and less uneven. But for the theatergoer who’s looking for a frightening theatrical thriller, Brian Pastor’s production of “The Night of the Hunter” will ultimately let you know where is the money.   

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented October 20-December 3 by City Lit Theater, located inside the Edgewater Presbyterian Church at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the box office, by calling 773-293-3682, or by going to www.citylit.org.

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